Queen Of Hearts
by Meg Storm
Summary: 'She could feel 'thump' 'thump' in her chest. The sound of hearts beating in harmony.' Any place is strange when you don't belong there, but when that place isn't in your own time, well.. Humor/Family/Romance/Adventure/Magic.  BETA Reader- Kanae Valentine
1. Tree Tops

**G'day, Bonjour, Konnichi wa, Guten Tag…Hello lol****.**** That concludes my knowledge in languages other then English. **

**This is my first King Arthur story to be posted, and also the first I wrote so bare with me =) **

**I've gone with the plot of girls-go-back-in-time-meet-Knights-etc, but before you roll your eyes and press the 'back' button I assure you their not the screaming fan-girl types. Lol. **

**Anyways, I'll stop rambling and let you form your own opinion. I hope you enjoy it =D**

**Disclaimer- I'm quite certain I don't own King Arthur. If I did there wouldn't have been so many dead ones at the end of the movie. **

**BETA work done by Kanae Valentine-Thank you!**

**Chapter 1-Tree Tops**

I blink my eyes several times as they adjust to the light and what I see makes me frown. Blue sky, with a couple of white, fluffy clouds. This is not my ceiling. My ceiling is white and there aren't any tree tops either.

Groggily, I push myself up onto my elbows and then notice that I am on the ground.

I blink again and my eyes slowly come into focus. I am in the middle of a clearing with, what appears to be, forest all around.

Warily I tuck the stray strand of my pale blonde, almost white hair, behind my ears.

_Where the hell am I? _

This is the point where I start panicking. I don't even remember going to sleep! Let alone here. No, the last thing I remember is riding through the bush behind my house with my friends and then….nothing.

_Oh my God! Friends!_ Where are Ash and Tammy? And our horses, how the hell could I _lose_ my _horse_? The big tall, four-legged, white thing that you just can't miss?

I whip my head each way and let out a relieved breath when I see my friends lying next to me.

Ashley Wharton and Tamara Groves are my best friends. Ash and I are the same age and Tams is a year older then us, but we had all gone to the same high school.

Tams looks peaceful, her long chocolate coloured hair is loose and all over the place bringing out her pale skin; Ash on the other hand wears a frown and is biting her bottom lip like she always does when she's thinking hard. She has short curly red hair and tanned skin.

They are both wearing the same clothes as when we were riding and after a quick glance so am I. My blue army pattern jeans and white singlet. I feel around my neck for the dog tags that I always wear and clasp my hands around them.

They were my brothers. I had gotten them when he had died two years ago in a training accident.

Slowly, I crawl over to my friends and shake their shoulders urgently.

"Guys," I whisper, my voice hoarse and thick. "Guys, wake up please."

Their eyes flick open and true to form Ash glares at me. "D'you loose yer mind, Lily? Go 'way and lemme sleep."

Yeah, she's not a morning person, though, I have no idea what time it is.

"We have a _big_ problem," I hiss at her.

To my left Tam has already sat up and is surveying our surroundings.

"Where are we?" she asks slowly, her green eyes displaying her confusion.

Ash sits bolt upright as well, her strange but stunning crimson eyes flicking between confusion and anger. "What the cheese sticks?"

"I don't know!" I glare at her, ignoring her strange saying. "I just woke up and here we were. What happened? All I remember is riding with you guys and then...nothing."

Tam slowly shakes her head; she is the logical one and always tries to sort out the logical answer to everything. Ash often scoffs about it and says it is a twenty year old thing since she and I are both nineteen.

"I…I don't know, the last thing I remember is Bolt dropping his head then nothing." She mutters. Bolt is her five year old brown gelding, named because of the white mark on his shoulder that is shaped like a lighting bolt.

Ash cocks her head to the side thoughtfully. "I remember a white light, like how the sun reflects off a mirror or watch. Then zip."

I lean back on my shins and sigh.

"Lily," Tammy says suddenly and a worried expression flashes on her face as she reaches her hand up to my face and brushes her thumb over my cheek. I hiss as the action had stung. "You've got a…scratch. It looks like a half moon though."

I touch my hand to my cheek and feel the crescent-shaped pattern and the dried blood that had dried on it.

"I don't remember getting this…" I mutter and drop my hand. "That doesn't matter. We've got to figure out where we are and what to do."

They look blankly at me. We are an odd mix, the three of us.

Tam is the clever one, the brains. Ash is a case of 'hit first ask questions later' and I'm, well, I'm the shy one.

Ash starts at least seventy percent of all fights she's involved in and has a different guy nearly every week. I will back down even if I am right and my shortest relationship lasts five months.

Tam is a mix of us both, taking the route that will give her the most advantage. She balances us out and so, surprisingly, we are a perfect fit together. Even though we disagree on pretty much everything.

Ash blows her bright red fringe out of her eyes and stand up, dusting the dirt off her brown riding breeches and black t-shirt and adjusting her red belt. "Where's Arrow?"

She narrows her eyes and look around for her three-year-old chestnut stallion.

I shrug. "Don't know. Bolt and Bells weren't here either when I woke, but that was only about five minutes ago."

They nod and Tam sighed before heaving herself to her feet and copying Ash's dusting off. She is wearing light blue jeans, tawny coloured quarter sleeved shirt and a light tan long sleeved shirt over the top. She has the palest skin out of the three of us and is constantly worried about sunburn.

"Whistle Bells, maybe?" she suggests, tying her hair up into a high pony tail and the bottom of it still reaching the middle of her back.

Bells is my two year old white mare, beautiful white mane and tail and silky hide. My pride and joy.

Putting my fingers in my mouth, I let out a shrill whistle that echoed through the trees. Seconds later, Bells trots into the clearing, her new black saddle and bridal all still on her and in pristine condition. Thank God, or I would probably have had a heart attack.

"Hello, my beautiful girl," I coo as she comes to me and presses her soft nose against my cheek in her adoring greeting.

I gently take hold of her reins and check her over for scratches, and happily found none.

"She was close, maybe the other two are as well."

My friends nod.

"ARROW! C'MON BOY, FOOD!" Ash yells at the top of her lungs while Tam rolls her eyes and goes in the direction that Bells had come from.

She stops at the beginning of the trees as sticks break in front of her and both of their horses appear and go to their mistresses.

"Well," Ash grins, patting her gleaming chestnut fondly. "That was easy."

Tam grinned from her position at Bolt's head, the gelding was hunting her shirt pockets for his treats. "I suppose, but it still doesn't tell us where we are." She produced a sugar cube and rewarded the persistent beast.

Ash rolls her eyes. "Yeah, but at least now we won't have to walk."

I giggle and hoist myself up into the saddle, the girls quickly doing the same.

Ash rummages around in her saddlebag and smiles. "It's ok. All the lollies are ok."

Tam and I roll our eyes. Ash has a massive sweet tooth, one rivalled only by Bolt. I'm surprised their teeth haven't all fallen out by now.

"No service," Tam declares as she studies her phone and holds it in different places. "We'd better start riding and hope we come across at town or something."

I nod and look at the sky. Still clear and bright. The trees are making it difficult to locate the sun, though.

"I don't know how much daylight we have. I can't see the sun from here," I muse. Typical, the only useful thing taught at school camps and I can't find the damn sun.

"Oh well, we'll find out how long we have when it gets dark, ay?" Ash chuckles and heads off in front.

Tam and I follow without complaint, after all, we don't have any better ideas on direction.

We ride for a couple of hours, through more and more trees and a couple of clearings, but there is no sign of civilisation. We hadn't talked all that much, too lost in thought to form sentences.

Finally, Ash lets out a frustrated sigh and Arrow halts. We are in a small space clear of trees.

"We should make some sort of camp here, before it gets any darker." Then mutters under her breath. "I hate camping."

I look upward and note the pink tinge to the sky signalling the coming of darkness. I let out a breath. At least wherever we are it still gets dark at night and would hopefully get light in the morning.

"I don't understand." I mutter moments later when we are pulling the saddles from our horses and removing the bits from their mouths so they can graze more easily. We don't bother tying them up. They never have gone far from us. They are like dogs in that respect.

Ash silently starts to gather sticks and logs for a fire and Tam and I clear a spot for it in the centre.

"I don't understand," Ash repeats my statement when the fire is up and going and we have settled down around it.

"I don't know," Tam replies after a moment. "It doesn't make sense, we started riding this morning, early. When we woke up it was only about three hours until dark. The terrain is different here. The vegetation is different. I saw a bird before that defiantly is not native to Australia."

"So…so what does that mean?" I ask quietly.

She opens her mouth but closes it again and thinks. "I don't know."

"Well, we're defiantly not where we started. In fact, it means we're in an entirely different place." Ash declares sarcastically.

"Ashley, don't." Tam scolds. "Now is not the time."

"Ok so I got that bit, but how?" I press. It doesn't make sense. "Tam, are you suggesting we're not even in Australia?"

She shrugs helplessly. "I don't know, Lily. I can't say for sure but this doesn't look like any environment in Aus. The climate is completely changed. It's colder here, and the plants are species more suited to colder climates. This place looks…European to me."

"European?" Ash screeches. "As in, on the other end of the bloody earth?"

"That's impossible," I whisper. "Have we been kidnapped?"

Tam is the smart one. She was majoring in biology and plants and that type of stuff. She knows. She has to know!

Ash swears loudly but calms a bit when Tam shakes her head. "If we had been kidnapped, why put us out here, with no guards, and why bring our horses? None of our families are powerful or overly rich. They don't have influential connections do they?"

We shook our heads. My family was probably the richest but my father had inherited the money and had been a doctor.

"Ok, so we haven't been kidnapped," Ash says, sorting out all the pieces in her head. "So what?"

"Now _that_ is a very good question," Tam smiles comfortingly. "We'll figure this out I promise."

I nod but I don't really hear her. I am starting to get drowsy and all too soon I curl up on the ground and fall asleep.

**Sooo? Chapter one finished, what did you think? Good, bad, otherwise? I'd love to hear what you thought =). What I'm doing right or wrong (the latter being the most probable probably lol)**

**Please review (but I won't die if you don't) and let me know what you're thinking :). Have a nice day! **

**Til next time, **

**~Angel **


	2. Hippies

**A/N: Just quickly, this chapter-and pretty much the rest of the entire story will be in 3****rd**** person. I'm sorry for any confusion! Please enjoy and let me know what you think :). **

**Chapter 2-Hippies **

The next morning rolls around slower than the girls had hoped. Tammy is the only one who had slept well, but then in Ash's strong opinion, Tam could have a herd of elephants walk over the top of her and she'd still be soundly asleep.

The red head had slept little, her cautiousness and protective instincts kicked in and she had stayed awake on watch for most of the night. She had watched in helplessness as the fair headed girl she considered a sister, a twin even, tossed and turned wildly in her sleep. Muttering words that were unintelligible.

Ash had held her hand and stroked her hair in attempts to calm her nightmares but it had only helped a little.

Lily had suffered from nightmares occasionally since her brother had been killed and her father had drunk himself to death. When the doctors had informed her that she was prone to depression Ash had attached herself to the younger girl like super glue, while Tam hovers over the pair of them and keeps them both out of trouble. Protecting her little, way ward sisters as best she can. There isn't even a very big gap between Ash and Lily, a couple of months is all Ash had on her but it is enough to have the older instincts to protect her.

That night had been one of the worst Ash had even seen Lily experience, though; the way she had held up her hands as if to shield herself from something had sickened her.

The dark has passed now and with it went the nightmares, for which she was thankful.

Groggily Ash shakes her friends awake and they blink at her with mild surprise.

"Ash?" Lily asks, pushing herself up. "What…oh."

"Did you sleep at all?" Tammy questions worriedly. "You have circles under your eyes."

She shrugs. "I think I got in a couple of hours early this morning. No biggy, I'll catch up on it when we're not in the middle of nowhere."

Tam sighs, once Ash has set her mind on something it is pointless to argue with her. The fire had long since gone out and the girls shiver in the early morning air, except Lily; she didn't seem to feel the cold. After shaking off the drowsiness, they made their way to their horses and saddles.

"Good morning, beautiful girl," Lily smiles as Bells trots to her while the boys continue grazing.

"You two have one freaky relationship," Ash grumbles as she smooths her hand over Arrow's neck lovingly, the stallion nickering at her then continues to shovel grass into his mouth.

"You're just jealous," Lily smirks and pokes out her tongue.

Tam chuckles as she rests her head in Bolt's mane and breaths in his scent; it calmed her and she needed that. Sensing her nerves the bay pushed his nose against her hip and blew out a deep breath of hot air.

"Holy bananas!" Ash shrieks and the other girls jerk their heads in her direction.

"What?" Lily asks.

"Look at this! Holy fricking hell and purple fish fingers!"

They hurry over to where she stands looking at their saddles with her mouth almost on the ground.

"….Wow." Tammy is the first to speak of the spectacle before them. Leaning up against each of their saddles are three swords, three bows, three quivers filled with arrows and three daggers.

"Where….where did they come from? Are those _real?_" Lily whispers, reaching for the set that is leaning against her saddle. She picks up the sword and un-sheaths it, admiring the shining new blade and noticing how well it fits into her hand. She jumps as it comes apart and makes two different blades.

"Sweet!" Ash cries, latching onto the set against her saddle and pulling it out to reveal a curved blade.

Tammy slowly picks up the last and pulls it out, a straight blade. She twists it around in her hand and allows a small smile.

"I can't believe this!" Ash squeals excitedly. They had all taken fencing lessons since a young age. It had been the place where Ash and Lily had first meet. "There exactly the type of swords we like! That is so cool!" She stopped and thought. "And also kinda creepy."

"Ya think?" Lily cries, looking around her nervously.

"It's okay," Tam sooths, now handling the bow. She had also taken archery and excels at it, much better than her two friends. She actually prefers the bow and arrows to the sword.

"Let's get out of here," Ash declares, tying the sword and dagger to her belt and the quiver to her back. Tam is the next to follow suite, tying the weapons to her body and begins saddling Bolt.

Lily is cautious as she slowly handles the deadly weapons, the blade shimmers in the light and the way the hilts fit so perfectly into her hand both excites and unnerves her.

"Lil, come on," Ash prompts. "It's okay, you're killer with the sword and a terrific throw. Nothing is going to hurt us, I promise." The red head approaches her and holds onto her shoulders, scarlet eyes burning into pale blue ones. "Don't be scared," she whispers.

Lily shakes her head, her almost white hair sways with the action. She breathes; Ash always could read her. Tammy can, too, but Ash sees more, sees past every block, reads her soul. And she never lies to her. The blonde lets go of her breath and attaches the weapons, Ash grins at her and squeezes her arms again. "That's my girl."

Lily chuckles and picks up her saddle and blanket. "Hells Bells, here girl." The mare trots obediently to her and allows herself to be saddled without having to be held.

By the time Lily puts the bit into the mare's mouth, her friends are already mounted and she is quick to do the same.

Ash leads the way again, while Tam rides beside her, staying only slightly behind. Lily sticks to the back, a foot or so behind them, and her friends kept glancing over their shoulders to check on her. They come to the edge of a large clearing and Ash halts Arrow while they are still in the cover of trees.

"Lil, stay closer. I get this feeling there's someone else," Tam mutters.

Her pale blue eyes widen a bit in surprise and she gently urges Bells up level with Arrow.

Ash smiles at her and reaches over to squeeze her hand. "Let's get out of this fricking forest. I've had more then enough of nature for one day."

Tam chuckles softly and Lily smiles. Even in a crisis, Ash will always be the same. The three urge their mounts forward and they sigh as they come out of the shade and into the sun. It is a clear day, bright with only a light breeze, but it is still far too cold to be spring like it had been yesterday morning.

They ride in silence, Tam keeping a careful eye on the edge of the forest and Ash keeps glancing at Lily who watches her surroundings in admiration rather then suspicion.

At the end of the clearing there appears to be a slope that rises up as a side of a hill. Ash grins. "Come on, race ya to the top!" She doesn't wait for the answer as she kicks the chestnut stallion and he lurches forward, eager to run. The others are quick to follow but it was well-known that Bells can outrun almost anything. The mare quickly glides past Arrow, mane and tail streaming out in the wind.

Lily laughs as Bells plants both front feet on the top on the hill first and rears up in triumph. "We win you slow pokes!" she giggles as Bells put all four hooves on the ground again. She stops short when she looks down the other side and gasps. Riding up the other side are seven men on horses, dressed in strange armour and carrying various sharp objects.

They are watching her, and coming straight for her.

Tam and Ash appear at her sides and stop their horses so fast they leave skid marks in the damp ground.

"What the fu..." Ash is cut off as the men urge their horses into a trot and make a half moon around them. The red head reaches for her sword and the one that looks like he might've been in change holds up a hand to stop her.

"We mean you no harm, Lady," he speaks. "We merely wish to see if you perhaps need any assistance."

Ash scrunches up her nose; they look dirty and several of them could easily be hippies.

"No. Thank you, but we're fine," Tammy replies kindly, and Lily backs Bells a little further away from them, her face twisted in shock.

"Is she alright?" the leader asks, gesturing to Lily.

Ash glances at her friend and frowns. She turns back and looks over the men again with accusing eyes. Lily must have seen something to scare her, otherwise she would have stayed where she was. She hears Tam muttering quietly to the fair-headed girl. Her eyes land on the taller of the two bald dudes and the dark-haired hippy and it clicked.

"Tam, look."

Tam turns to look at her and follows her line of sight. The big bald dude and the dark hippy both possess a resemblance to Lily's dead brother. If you put the two together it could have been Dean in front of them. And Lily is a very observant person.

"She'll be fine," Ash answers the man tightly. "Now if you don't mind, you can go away."

They look at her in surprise.

"Now, it's not safe for young ladies such as you to be out here alone. There are dangers in these woods," another one speaks with a smirk. He has black curly hair and a slight well kept beard. He wears armour, too, and has two swords strapped to his back. He gives off an air that screams cocky asshole in Ash's opinion.

"Ooo, scary," she replies sarcastically. "We can take care of ourselves, thank you very much."

"What my friend means to say," Tam interrupts and gives Ash a hard glare, "is thank you for your concern but we're alright."

The leader nods and the curly-headed one glares at Ash who smirks at him.

"I am Arthur and these are my knights: Lancelot" The cocky one. "Gawain." The light- haired hippy. "Tristan." The dark-haired hippy. "Galahad." The youngest one, with curly brown hair and a beard. "Bors." The shorter, massive- looking bald one. "And Dagonet." The tallest, massive bald one.

The knights blink at the young girl's stares. Even the fair-headed one has stopped her panicking to gape at them. The brunette one looks shocked and the red head stares.

"Arthur?" the red head repeats, testing his name on her tongue. "As in, Arthur and the knights of the round table Arthur?"

The legendary knight senses a bit of mockery in her voice, but he nods in reply.

There is silence for a moment before the red head scoffs; the brunette shakes her head, and the youngest one looks skywards and lets out a shaky sigh.

"Yeah right," the red head snorts. "And I'm the queen of Sheba. Let's get out of here."

The other girls nod and are quick to turn around their mounts.

"Wait. This is woad territory!" Galahad protests.

"Stay away from the sharp ends and enjoy your dress up game, boys. Run along home now. Your mummies' will be wondering where you've wandered off to." The red head calls back over her shoulder with a smirk and a roll of her strange eyes.

"Hippy freaks," she mutters under her breath as they ride away, down the other side of the hill. "Arthur and his knights. Do we have suckers stamped to our foreheads? Huh? What a load of bullshit."

Tam shakes her head again and casts a worried glance at Lily. Even after two years, the subject of her brother is still extremely touchy. Not that anyone can blame her; they had been very close and the events after his death had traumatised her.

Ash follows her line of sight and clamps her mouth shut; her adopted sister had turned a lighter shade of pale. "Lily?" Ash whispers and smiles lightly when her friend's pale eyes reach her own. "C'mon. It's okay."

"I…they…its…I..." she stumbles, as she tries to find the words to explain whatever it is.

Ash glances quickly back up the hill when they had reached the bottom and gone a short distance. The mental house escapees are still there, much to her annoyance.

"What?" Tam asks. "Deep breaths, Lil."

Lily huffs and brushes her hair out of her face. "I'm not a nutter, Tammy. It's just, last night….I _saw_ them, in my dream, their faces. I thought it must have been Dean and some of his army friends….but, they…"

Ash snaps her head up at the mention of dreams. "You were dreaming last night. You wouldn't stay still. I thought they were nightmares."

Lily looks at her and tilts her head to the side, her silky locks falling gracefully over her cheek. "I…don't remember. I just saw their faces flash in my head…for maybe a second each, that's all I remember of last night."

"It's okay. You never remember your nightmares," Tam reasons.

"Thank the heavens for that," Ash murmurs, sending a fleeting look of pity to Lily, who is too busy twisting her fingers in Bells' mane to catch it. Luckily for Ash, she hates the pity and only accepts comforting from Ash or Tam. She can be as hard as her red headed companion if she chose.

Suddenly an arrow flies through the air and past Tam's head, missing it by centimetres. The girls' eyes snap up and scan the trees, just as more arrows are fired. Tam loads her bow as Ash and Lily grab their swords and swing themselves from the saddles. Almost immediately, blue-painted people burst from the woods.

The clang of blades echoes loudly in Lily's ears as it occurs to her what she is doing. Blocking another swing of the blue person's blade, she brings up her own across his throat in one swift motion and her opponent falls.

**A/N: Well there you go, chapter 2 done and dusted =). Pretty please review and let me know what you thought, what's right what's wrong etc. I can't get better if you don't point me towards the problems =). **

**Thank you so much to everyone who read-reviewed-alerted-favourite-ed, it does really mean a lot to me. **

**Also, super thank you's to Kanae Valentine, who does a magnificently brilliant job and Affoler la Reine for her very helpful advise. Merci =). **

**Til next time, **

**~Angel **


	3. Knights of the Round Table

**Chapter 3-Knights of the Round Table **

The knights are just about to leave when the first arrow is fired and after only a moment of hesitation they race down the hill to aid the young ladies.

The girls faced the battle wearily, as though they'd seen them before but hadn't been apart of them. Their steps weren't those of hardened warriors, more like young trainees only used to sparring with their teachers. Unwilling to kill their opponents, but after Ash nearly lost her head to a large blue warrior they started dealing fatal blows.

As they join forces the bodies fall faster, quickly ridding the clearing of the enemy. They had almost brought it to even sides and as Lily removes her last opponents head from his shoulders, she takes her dagger from her side and flings it into the back of one of the two men fighting Gawain as he disposed of the other. Tam shoots two more arrows and cleans up two more, an action that makes the blue people outnumbered.

Ash has just pulled her sword out of one and whips around to face another when Lancelot slashes him from behind. "Oi!" she cries. "Get you own blue dude you freak. He was mine!"

Lancelot blinks at her as the last of the Woads retreat back to the trees. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me!" she snaps. "Tammy, he took my blue dude!" She sounds like a little child complaining that someone had taken her doll from her.

The brunette sighs, "I'm sure he'll regret it."

"Damn right he will…where's Lily?"

They all stop and watch as the two girls scan the battlefield now littered with bodies.

"Lily?" Galahad repeats, tasting the name on his tongue.

Tam nods. "The other girl."

He nods; that was obvious and not what he had meant.

"There," Tristan gestures with his head, and they all follow his gaze.

Lily is out of talking distance from them, with her head buried in Bells neck. She strokes the mare lovingly, smears of red are visible on the white mare and Lily's sword is covered it in.

"Lil…" Ash whispers and makes her way to her, stepping over the bodies at her feet like they aren't there. Tam follows her clicking Bolt forward and the knights slowly trail behind.

Ash is quiet until she reaches her; Bells stands protectively with her mistress, bending her neck around to nuzzle her as the red head approaches. Lily seems to understand and holds up her hand and all the people behind her stop.

She turns and to their surprise there are no tears in her beautiful eyes; her face is passive, unreadable, and has blood on it. "I was checking Bells," she murmurs, nodding at the blood on her mare.

"And she is well?" Galahad asks softly, drawing her attention to him. Something stirs in him as her gaze falls on him and she nods.

"It's not ours," she adds hastily as she looks back at her friends. Only then does the other notice the blood that also covers her arms and hands.

"If they weren't already dead, I'd kill them," Ash declares then wheels around and thrusts a finger under Lancelot's nose. "Speaking of which, he was my blue dude you asshole!"

"Ash, please, they were _helping_," Lily replies soothingly, putting a steady hand on her friends arm. "That's a good thing; there's no need to kill him."

Withdrawing her hand but not her glare, Lancelot releases the breath he had been holding. "You're lucky I listen to her," she snaps and clasps her hand around Lily's.

She is beautiful. Hell they are all beautiful, but there is something about _her_ that the usual ladies man finds intriguing.

Her eyes are most unusual, but so are Lily's. Perhaps it is her obvious and shameless dislike for him. And he is sure he had done nothing to make her feel like she does.

"We've been rude," the brunette says sweetly, an apologetic smile on her fair features. "I'm Tamara, this is Ashley and Liliana. Thank you for your help."

Ash grimaces at the use of her full name. "And if any of you call me Ashley, I'll turn you into girls."

The knights chuckle but one look at her glare quietens them down.

"Ash please," Tam says, her voice firm.

Grumbling to herself, the red head wraps her arm around Lily and pulls the girl closer to her in a comforting and protective manner, the white mare comes up behind them and nudges her mistress. Lily reaches up an arm and wraps it around the mare's neck as the elegant beast rests her head lightly on her shoulder.

They all look to Tam. Seemingly, it is her job to now decide what they are to do.

Tristan studies the mare and the girl. She seems so innocent now. Her friends are still on the alert— he sees the awareness in their eyes— the thoughts and danger still there. However, Lily's shows traces of panic, like she is trying to hide it but it is slowly making its way to the surface. Then it dawns on the scout; it is their first time killing. The way that they had fought so well, no emotion shown on the battlefield, the fact had escaped him until now.

"Do you have somewhere to go?" Arthur asks, bringing him from his thoughts and all eyes land on the commander and Tam.

She shakes her head. "We're….very new to the area."

"You can accompany us back to the wall if you'd like," he offers.

Tam nods and looks to her friends.

Ash's glare is as hard as ever and her eyes narrows in suspicion and mistrust, while Lily stay emotionless. "Tammy, have you lost your marbles? You want to go with a bunch of strange, dirty, crazy males? I thought you were the sensible one!" she snaps and glares at the knights again.

"What's your problem?" Lancelot snaps, taking offense to her words and folding his arms across his chest.

"You, _you_ are my problem. You lot are trying to tell us that you're _the_ Arthur and his famous knights of the round table, seriously do we have gullible or dumb written on our foreheads?" she returns.

"Ash," Lily whispers and the red head turns to face her, her crimson eyes immediately softening. "We were just attacked, don't you see? Can't you see the blood? Don't you remember what you just did?" Panic is starting to seep into her voice and tears creep into her eyes. She looks back at her bloodied hands and whispers so softly they are unsure whether it had been her or the wind. "We killed people."

"I'm sorry," Ash whispers pulling her into a hug. "It'll be ok, I promise."

"You're really Arthur then," Tam asks, the tone in her voice clearly meaning no lies.

"Yes."

She sighs, "Oh my God."

"How is that possible?" Ash hisses.

Tam glares at her, "How am I supposed to know? But you can stop calling them hippy freaks now. Thanks."

She rolls her eyes. "Right, cause cave boys are soooo much better then hippy freaks."

"Boys?" Lancelot scoffs. "I'm no boy."

Now she scoffs, "Ego much? And all males are boys until they prove otherwise."

Lily laughs lightly, drawing the attention back to herself and she immediately shuts up, trying to shrink away from their gazes and slinking back to Bells' side. The mare obligingly turns her head to hide her mistress further.

Tam clears her throat, "Ashley, behave yourself."

The red head shot one last glare at Lancelot and mutters darkly to herself as she goes to find her horse.

Lancelot watches her go, and Gawain grins after her. "Lively little thing."

Tam gives him a tired smile, "She's always like that."

"Where are you headed?" Arthur asks, wiping his sword and putting it back in its sheath.

Lily ducks her head under Bells neck to watch as Tam pauses for a moment before shrugging. "Haven't got a clue."

"You're new to the area then," Lancelot raises an eyebrow. Today has not been an ordinary day: finding three stunningly beautiful female travellers that fight as well as the knights themselves, they do not act like Ladies, are obviously lost and not one has fallen at his feet.

Yes, it has been a strange day.

Again, Tam pauses, choosing her next words carefully; she isn't yet sure herself of what had happened to them. "Yes, very, very new."

Arthur frowns, "What are you doing in Britain?"

This time the brunette has no answer to offer him so Ash pipes up, always happy to fill the void. "Haven't got a bloody clue, we just kind of…woke up here. We've been here for approximately a day...maybe." She is clutching the reins of her chestnut stallion who is dancing lightly on the spot.

The knights blink at her.

"What?" Galahad asks. These women are not making sense to him at all. Again his eyes flick to the blonde who is still timidly hiding near her horse. He watches as she glances at Dag then at Tristan quickly and closes her eyes, taking several deep calming breaths. She looks at them with a longing and intense sadness he doesn't understand; none of them had ever met before.

Ash snorts, "Are you deaf? You heard what I said."

Tam shakes her head in exasperation and a smile ghosts across Lily's face. Ash is annoyed, she is herself, and it is a comfort to Lily to have something around her that is the same.

Galahad sees the light smile and smiles himself; she has a beautiful smile.

"We know as much as you do," Tam reasons, silently willing her friend to shut up. "Please don't push it, she'll snap and then Lil and I will have to stitch you all back together."

The knights look to Ash with unwavering eyes, until she gives them all a wicked grin, a glint in her eyes. Perhaps she may just…..Arthur looks back to Tam expectantly. "You know medicine?"

She nods and Lily appears from behind Bells. "We both have taken courses in it, I'm the more internal side of it, colds, flues, fevers…things like that, I took an extra course in herbal remedies and setting broken limbs. Lily covers the flesh wounds; I don't do well with blood sometimes."

"Explains why you didn't get off your horse or bloody your sword," Lancelot states.

"Come back to the fort with us, if you have no where else to go." Arthur offers, smiling at the girls reassuringly.

Tam returns his smile whole-heartedly and Lily a bit shyly. "Thank you. We'll take you up on that."

Ash chokes, "We will?"

She gets a hard look. "Yes, we will."

She blinks, "Oh fantastic, let's just ride off with a bunch of ancient fairy tale characters we _don't _know, to a place we _don't _know! What happened to 'don't trust strangers'? I thought you were the smart one?"

Again, she gets a dry look and several snickers from the knights. "I am the smart one," Tam replies. "That's why we're going with the men who know the way, so we don't get lost and freeze to death."

With that, she turns Bolt and marches him past her friend and Lily follows her, giving Ash a squeeze on the hand as she leads Bells past. The red head stares after her sisters and turns back to the knights who have yet to move. "Any of you lay _one freaking finger_ on either of them or myself and I'll make sushi out of ya's and force feed you to the blue dudes, got it?"

Lancelot smirks at her. "Milady if I may…"

She glares at him and interrupts. "Look Percy…"

"Lancelot," he corrects.

"Look Percy," she continues as if she hadn't heard him. He changes his charming smirk to a glare. "I don't like you. Stay out of my way and don't speak unless spoken to." She hisses crankily and spins on her heel and follows her friends, Arrow trailing along behind her obediently.

"That's a first," Bors laughs. "_Percy_."

"Hurry up. If you're gonna lead the way, lead the bloody way already!" she shouts louder the necessary over her shoulder before mounting Arrow.

"Perhaps we should leave her here…" Galahad ventures slowly, Lancelot nodding in agreement still annoyed by the female's obvious lack of interest in him, all of them for that matter. The others glare viciously at them. "Okay, okay…" He quickly amends, holding up his hands in surrender. "Only joking."

Gawain snorts, cuffing him up the back of his head. "Don't let the little girl scare you, pup." The others laugh and shake their heads, going back to their own horses.

"So, which way?" Tam asks after they had all mounted and are ready to leave. She steals a quick glance at Lily who is twisting her fingers in Bells mane nervously. She stands on the outside of them; Ash had placed herself and Arrow protectively between her friend and their new companions. She sighs. The quicker they get away the better.

"That way," Arthur points out across the hill where they had met. "We're about a day from the wall; we will camp tonight and arrive late morning."

"Camp?" Ash echoes as they set off. She rides next to Tam and Arthur but back a little, in the best position to shield Lily from other's eyes.

"Yes, Tristan will find a suitable spot." The great commander nods to his scout who urges his horse into a canter and eventually disappears from their sight.

"_Fan_tastic," Ash mumbles dryly, patting Arrow's neck. The stallion snorts in reply.

"Is it true there is a round table?" Tam asks excitedly and Ash suppresses a groan. How she can even be thinking of history lessons at a time like this, she doesn't know.

"Yes it's true." Arthur replies cautiously.

"Tell me my lady." Lancelot begins, riding up to Arthur's other side. "How do you know of the table?"

"We have heard many stories of you, where we come from, there are books on you, lessons…" She smiles at them.

Ash rolls her eyes. "Yeah, another history lesson I fell asleep in."

Lily giggles a little and earns herself a grin in reply.

"Is there now?" Lancelot says, a cocky smile covering his features.

Tam nods. This is more her area, history, one of her favourite subjects in school. If this is what they think it is and they are truly in the presence on _the_ King Arthur; all the myths and legends could be set straight.

"It's incredible, that we're here, physically impossible. Where we come from, you are all just part of a story, and there are many versions. No one really knows if there was such a man as yourself and your knights. It was a legend to us."

"Well, if this _is_ real and not some sick joke, then we can safely say that they're real, don't you think Tammy?" Ash points out, producing her ruby dagger and twirling it in her hand. "I can always check if you'd like…"

"You don't say, and put that thing away," Tam replies, throwing her a glare.

She pouts, "Spoil sport."

"So we're legends are we?" Lancelot pushes.

"Now look what you've done Tam, inflated his ego ten fold." Ash smirks at the curly haired knight. "I'll have to make a mental note to deflate it."

She is ignored. "Yes, your legends. It's unknown in some stories whether you were good or not Sir Lancelot." Tam pauses and smirks slightly at him.

"Oh." He frowns. "How so?"

"Well, in some it is said that you were constantly jealous of Arthur and often tried to kill him to take the throne, steel Excalibur, fight over the woman you both loved…"

The look on his face is almost too much for Ash who burst out laughing and even Lily cracks a smile and a giggle.

"But in others you are the best of friends and loyal to each other." Tam finished, smiling reassuringly at him.

The knights are all looking at them slightly confused. Tam clears her throat, suddenly nervous. "Their just stories, like I said, where we come from no one knows for sure."

They nod. "So where is this place you come from? To here so many different stories of us yet not know if we are truly real?" Gawain asks.

"Very, very, very, very, very, long way from here. A place that none of you will ever know and never understand. You wouldn't even believe us if we told you, so we'll just leave it at foreigners." Ash replies and Lily looks down again.

The blonde knight leaves it there, sensing it was a touchy subject for the girls. They ride in relative silence then; Arthur and Tam discuss the tales the girls had heard of them, as well as political views and religion. He is happy to find that she is a Christian while the other two are not.

Occasionally, one of the other knights would try to begin a conversation with Lily who remains silent and seems determined not to look at any of them. Finally, after a rather deadly glare from Ash, it sinks in that they are to leave her alone.

Finally, Tristan appears ahead of them, and they kick their horses to catch up to him.

"How did you go?" Arthur asks the scout.

"The area is clear, and there's a small clearing in the trees not far ahead, on the side of a hill. It should give us the best shelter," was his monotonous reply. As he scanned the faces of his brothers-in-arms and their new companions his gaze stops on Lily, who quickly drops her eyes and squeezes them shut. Sighing to himself they set off again.

Arthur and Tam picking up their prior conversation as if they hadn't been interrupted. When they get to the clearing, which is well sheltered and just up the slope of a hill as Tristan had said, Ash leaps from her horse and glares at Lancelot. She had gotten bored of Arthur and Tam's educational sounding talk and had taken to arguing with the second in command instead. Evidently annoying everyone else.

Even Lily had left her friends side and pulled back to ride with Gawain and Galahad. Right now, Ash looks as if she will kill him at any moment. Her hand is gripping the hilt of her curved blade, her eyes shooting daggers at him.

Fortunately, the others had long since tuned them out and didn't know what he'd done to piss her off so much.

"Of all the places we had to end up, and all the fricking people in the fricking world, we had to be stuck with the biggest playboy of this century and the next," she snarls.

They look at her stunned. They aren't used to such language coming from a lady.

Lily rides past her friend and dismounts. "Leave him Ash. He can't help it."

She spins to face her. "Oh, he'll help it alright, when I cut out his tongue and feed it to the birds. We'll see how well he can talk then. I'll teach him."

That said, she stalks to the other side of the bare open space to a cluster of trees. "C'mon, Arrow, ya stupid horse," she calls back. The stallion trots to her obediently, taking no insult to her tone or her words.

Lily watches in amusement as the red head lays a hand on the chestnut's nose and slowly runs it up, speaking to him softly. She openly laughs when she realises what Ash is telling him.

The knights look up from their untacking and smile ever so slightly, Tam feels a weight lifted from her conscious at the sweet sound.

"What's funny?" Galahad asks coming up beside her.

She looks up at him, a smile still on her face. "Ash is telling Arrow that the next trick she's going to teach him is to eat people."

He chuckles, "Horses don't eat meat."

She looks back at her friend and shakes her head. Moving around Galahad, she starts to remove Bells' saddle. "I'll let you tell her that."

He quickly shakes his head. "No, thank you."

She laughs again, saddle and cloth in her arms as she goes to put them with the other saddles leaning against the trees. The cloth slips from the top but before it can touch the ground a hand shoots out and grabs it.

Startled, Lily looks at the hand's owner and jumps. Tristan holds the cloth out to her, his eyes and most of his face hidden by his hair.

Her breath catches in her throat as she hastily moves the saddle to one arm and gingerly takes the offered cloth from him. She drops her eyes immediately as tears prick the corners. "T-Thank you." And with that she turns from him completely.

He looks after her, a slight frown hidden by his hair. He doesn't understand his confusion at her behaviour. Most people give him a wide birth, and he is just fine with that but with this girl…Somehow he doesn't want her to do that. He finds himself not wanting _her_ to think he is a monster.

"It's not what you think," a soft voice from behind him says.

He turns in mild surprise to face Tam. Her long hair is still in its tie and is hanging over her shoulder. Her bright green eyes regarding him with a caring smile.

He tilts his head at her, and she takes this as a sign to continue.

"She's not scared of you. Not really."

"With all due respect lady, she does not look at me, and when she does all I see is sadness and fear," he replies gruffly.

Tam shakes her head. "She does not fear you anymore then she fears any of the others; you and Dagonet resemble someone she used to know. She's scared of the memories you're stirring."

He nods slowly and turns back to watch her.

Galahad had gone to her and is assisting with taking off Bells' bridle and hanging it in the tree. He says something to her and she smiles and shakes her head. The youngest knight immediately looks pleased with himself at being able to make her smile.

Tristan shakes his head at the sudden urge to protect her deep in his stomach. He looks back to Tam, but she has moved off to talk to Arthur and Dag about something. Tristan notices Dag's deep look of concentration directed toward Lily and Galahad as well.

The scout sighs. Perhaps his brother is feeling the same as him, something else that does not make sense. Tam had said that the two knights look like someone Lily used to know…Maybe that is the link.

The fire crackles and hisses as the rabbit meat is held over it to cook. The girls and knights are sitting around it, talking idly, watching as Gawain prepares the food.

Lily is sitting between Tam and Ash, her knees pulled up to her chest and her chin resting on her knees. She still refuses to look at Dag or Tristan. Her avoidance is easy to see and has the two men puzzled, though Tristan doesn't let it show.

Ash is eyeing the 'meal' as Gawain hands the meat around. Tam accepts it with a smile and Lily politely declines, saying she isn't hungry, and— after a quick discussion— they let her be. When it comes to Ash however…

"No thanks, I'll starve."

Tam rolls her eyes. "It won't kill you." She takes a bite, chews and swallows to prove it.

Ash shakes her head. "Not eating it, don't care." She jumps up and darts over to her saddlebag, rummaging around in it before coming back, a chocolate bar in hand. "This is food, that is…well, whatever that is."

"That is no good for you," Tam replies matter-of-factly.

Lily reaches over, breaks the top off, and places the dark stuff in her mouth. "Maybe not, but it tastes good."

"And it looks better than that," Ash adds slumping back where she had been sitting.

"What is it?" Bors asks and they realise that the men had probably never even seen chocolate before.

"Chocolate," Ash replies cautiously. She has a feeling she might have to give them some. "Female food only, it gives boys high squeaky voices."

Lily snorts and almost chokes on her own while Tam glares at her. "It's like…a sweet," the brunette tries to explain it. "It's... Well, Ash give them some will ya?"

She gapes at her. "What?" she shrieks. "No way, it's mine!"

"Oh please, you sound like a three year old. Just give them some so they know what it tastes like. It won't hurt you," Tam scolds.

"There's no way I'm—" She is cut off as Lily snatches the bar out of her hands and chucks it to Arthur, who catches it.

"I'm not in the mood to listen to you two," she shrugs and smiles innocently. "Break it where the lines are Arthur; it'll come apart easier like that."

The commander nods and does as instructed, handing a piece to each of his knights.

Ash sighs as they eat. "It's like…loosing a part of me." Then she wrinkles her nose. "Or feeding time at the zoo."

Lily giggles. "It's only chocolate; you've got more."

"Mmm I s'pose, but they're not getting anymore. Over my dead body!"

"Is that a promise?" Lancelot asks, his mouth full.

"Shut it, halfwit. Or you'll eat the plastic, too, and it _will_ kill you." She glares at him before quieting down to sulk.

"So?" Tam asks as they finish.

"It's very good," Galahad replies, offering the girls a smile. "Thank you, Ash."

She grunts. "Whatever."

"It is very different," Arthur replies, "but it is good."

The others nod in agreement and Tam grins. "There you go then. That's what chocolate is."

"And that's all you're getting so I hope you enjoyed it," Ash adds moodily, still sulking, making Arthur chuckle.

Lily stands, stretching her arms above her head and stepping over the log she had been leaning against.

"Well, see you in the morning," she says, her eyes downcast and she moves quickly away from them, over to Bells. She runs her hands along the mare's side and down her leg. Slowly Bells lowers herself to the ground and gets comfortable before Lily plops down next to her and curls into her side.

"She's a well trained horse," Gawain notes softly and both Tam and Ash tear their worried eyes off Lily to look at him and the others.

"She's had Bells since she was three months old; she had her broken in and rideable by the time she was one and a half. They are almost inseparable."

"Is Lily going to be alright?" he asks.

"Yes," Tam replies gently. "She will be, in time."

"In time…" Ash repeats slowly. "Maybe, if we're lucky. She hasn't been 'alright' for two years, Tammy, and now we've got this place and these….fairy tale people to deal with and it's them making her like this in the first damn place!" she points accusingly at Tristan and Dag and stands up. "Don't argue Tamara, you know I'm right." She looks at the others coldly, "Night. Don't do us any favours and get eaten tonight."

With that, she walks over to Bells and Lily. After talking softly to the mare, she slides down next to her best friend and both fall asleep.

"It's not your fault," Tam says after what seems like hours of silence has passed. "Ash is just mad because she can't help Lily this time…and because we gave you her chocolate... but mostly it's Lily. Lily doesn't hate you; she truly doesn't have a spiteful bone in her body. Like I said Tristan, you and Dagonet remind her of someone she knew, and lost." She stands and smiles kindly at them. "Don't pay any mind to Ash, she doesn't mean it. Goodnight."

Murmurs of 'night' follow her as she goes to the girls and slides down next to them.

Arthur sighs. "Knights, get some rest."

They nod and each makes their way to where they would be sleeping.

**A/N: Ta dar! One of the longest chapters I've done for anything I think haha. I hope you enjoyed it, please review and tell me what you think! =]. I love hearing what you thought and what you liked and didn't like, so pretty please press the button =D. **

**HUGE thanks to Kanae Valentine for BETA-ing, you did an awesome job and your help is massively appreciated ^^. **

**And thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed! You guys are brilliant and make writing so much more enjoyable for me =]**

**Til next time, **

**~Angel xo**


	4. Wake up Call

**~Chapter 4-Wake Up Call~ **

The birds are lively, the sun is starting to peek over the horizon, the early morning is misty and dewy, and nearly everyone is awake.

Apart from Ash, Lily, Lancelot and Galahad. The first is snoring lightly while the second finally looks peaceful and both the men are flat on their backs, snoring loudly. Lily had been tossing and turning wildly in her sleep and the knights on watch were lost as of what to do.

Galahad had tried to wake her when he was on watch but she would not be woken. And Gawain had made the large mistake of waking Ash, the blonde knight now supported a black eye where she had thumped him.

"What happened to you?" Tam asks worriedly when she had woken, by nature a reasonably early riser. She reaches up and gently traces her slim fingers around the outside of the dark bruising.

"Ash punched me," he replies shortly, unable to make a larger explanation due to her touch. He watches as her eyebrows shoot to her hairline and his fellow knights snicker.

"Why?" she asks slowly, withdrawing her hand.

"Lily was having a nightmare," he replies and the others nod in agreement, they had all witnessed some part during their watches. "Ash was next to her and since Galahad said that he couldn't rouse Lily, I thought I'd wake Ash since she was closest to her. I thought she might have known what to do," he pauses. "She doesn't like being woken up, does she?"

Tam chuckles. "No. She's not a morning person. I'd rather play with savage dogs then wake her up."

"What of Lily?" Dag asks, as he stops sharpening his axe.

This time Tammy sighs deeply. "We don't know what her nightmares are of, she never remembers them. But, they're common…sometimes. She hadn't had one for nearly three months then being in this new place must have set them off again, since she had one last night, too, apparently. I never wake up to her; I'm too deep of a sleeper…unless she screams."

The big man nods and returns to his axe, casting another glance at Lily.

"How old are ye?" Bors asks suddenly, chewing thoughtfully on his meat.

"I'm twenty, Ash and Lil are nineteen," she replies, accepting the meat Gawain was offering her and smiling her thanks to him.

"She looks younger then that…innocent like." Bors muses, looking at her reminded him of his eldest daughter, though there was a fair age gap.

"Lily's past…." She trails off uncertainly. "Look, it's not my place to say; you are all practically strangers to us, although I'm grateful for your help."

Arthur smiles. "No thanks is needed, and we understand. But you should wake them; I want to reach the wall by midday. Bors, wake Lancelot and Galahad."

Tam nodded and went back to the girls, gently waking Lily first. It took little effort from Bors to rouse the pair of dark curly headed knights as one swift kick for each from the burly man quickly brought both to full alert. Accompanied by a string of curses.

"Hmm?" Lily forces an eye open and looks up at Tam's soft face, the intense shouting had woken her more then the gentle shakes of her friend.

"Time to get up Lil," she whispers as Lily's pale eyes blink away the sleep.

She nods numbly and pushes herself up, the cloak that had been over her falls to her waist as she sits up. Bells nickers softly at her in greeting and receives a smile and a rub on the belly.

"Would you mind getting Ash?" Tam asks pleadingly. "Please?"

She chuckles, the silky sound masked with sleep vibrating through her stiff body. "Yeah, I'll get her." Reaching over she ruffles the short red hair until it sticks up at odd angles and pokes Ash's tanned forehead. "Oi, wake up."

Crimson eyes snap open and the fiery glare is set upon her. "Piss off."

Ash's threat is thick with her only semi-consciousness.

Lily shakes her head. "We have to get up."

Ash heaves herself up onto her elbows and surveys her surroundings before glaring at whatever her eyes fall upon and lays back down. "Bugger off, I can't see the sun."

Lily got to her feet and gestures for Bells to rise, which she did, and at the unexpected loss of her pillow, Ash's whole body hit the ground with a light thump and a yelp of surprise.

Laughter erupts behind them and it only increased when she stands and they got a good look at her wild red hair. She tosses them all dirty looks and then turns on Lily. "You bitch! That was uncalled for!"

Lily laughs. "Oh please, it's the best way to get you up."

Ash huffs and quickly turns on Lancelot who was laughing loudest and bolts for him. She leaps at him and tackles him to the ground. Putting him in a head lock she scruffs up his hair until it was similar to hers and let him go. "Shut. _The. Hell._ Up. Sir Prance-a-lot. You look worse them me, so HA! Suck eggs _boy_," she snaps and marches back to Lily, who was trying to contain her laughter lest she upset her friend more.

"You alright?" she asks the blonde softly, all traces of her anger vanishing.

Lily gives her an odd look. "Yes…why wouldn't I be?"

Ash sighs and the realisation strikes Lily and she replies with a quiet 'oh.' "Do they…" she trails off, gesturing to the men but Ash get the idea.

"Yea."

"Oh."

"Speaking of which," Tam says loudly. "Ash, apologise to Gawain."

The girl in question frowns at her in confusion until Tam points to the blonde man and his rather impressive black eye.

Lily gasps. "Why'd you hit him?"

She shrugged. "He woke me up."

Lily blinks at her. "Ah, but why'd he wake you up."

Ash sighs again. "You, he wanted me to help you. But I hit him by reflex before he could say. So yeah, sorry."

Gawain nods. "It's alright."

"I'm sorry," Lily says to all of them. "I didn't know..."

Arthur holds up a hand to silence her. "It's alright, no harm done. I'm sure Gawain will live."

She smiles.

"Come, we need to be ready to move out when Tristan returns," Arthur explains and Lily notices for the first time that he had been absent. She immediately hopes that he hadn't witnessed whatever it was that she had done last night but she doubted it.

In truth, she wished none of them had witnessed it, when she didn't even know what 'it' was; it was worse then being drunk and not know what you're doing. At least she had some memory of those occasional nights, but with this, there was nothing. Memory was very precious to her, as she had no memory of her younger years the clear ones only started when she was six. Ash tried to reassure her that that was probably normal as people don't remember being toddlers more often then they do. But both she and Tammy could recount memories from when they were three and above and Lily's parents never spoke of when she was that young while Tam's did of her all the time.

"Is there water anywhere? Somewhere I can wash off?" she asks unsurely, noticing the dried blood that is still on herself and her horse and her friends.

Gawain nods. "Straight down there."

He points down the slope to where it opens up and she sees a stream running through the green pasture.

She nods her thanks and smiles at him. Picking up her tack and the cloak that isn't hers, she whistles Bells who follows her through the trees and to the water.

"Coming Ash? Tam?" she calls over her shoulder.

Tam nods straight away while Ash hesitates. She doesn't particularly like the idea of a cold bath but she doesn't like the blood more so nods slowly and follows.

Reaching the easy flowing water's edge Lily began to strip down. Taking off her boots and socks first she sets them in a neat pile with her other gear where they wouldn't get wet and takes off her jeans to reveal mid-thigh length black shorts.

Her singlet follows next until she is standing in just her shorts and black and white sports bra.

"My God girl," Tam raises an eyebrow at her. "You're only washing your arms and face. No need to go skinny dipping."

"Nah, she's just showin' these boys what she's got, ay babe?" Ash grins at her, then changed her expression to a stony stare. "If any of them so much as peek I'll fry their eyeballs on rocks."

Lily rolls her eyes. "_No_, I'm going to wash the blood off Bells, too, and I want something dry to put on after."

Tam nods and Ash snorts. "Well, two birds, one stone my way. I might get to kill them before lunch."

Lily chuckles. "Whatever Ash."

The red head just grins before gingerly touching the waters surface and began removing the red from her skin, Tam doing the same.

"How can we understand them?" Ash asks suddenly as she shakes her arms to get rid of the icy water. "I mean, don't they speak another language in this time?"

Tam nods thoughtfully, standing up and examining her arms for the now none existent bloody smears. "I'm pretty sure they speak Latin now you mention it, and of course the Sarmatians would have their own languages as well."

"Yes, but how do we understand them and vice verses?" Ash continues a little impatiently.

"Talk again," Tam replies suddenly, concentration masking her face.

Ash frowns and Lily cocks her head to the side. She is knee deep in the little stream and quite enjoying herself.

"What? Why, don't you usually want me to shut up?" Ash replies jokingly.

Tammy's green eyes widen in surprise. "Don't you hear yourself? I understand every word but that does not sound like English." She excitedly blows on her hands to dry them and grins at their confused faces. "We're speaking Latin, perfect, fluent Latin. I don't know how we didn't notice sooner, maybe it was because the men were all speaking it? I don't know, but we just learnt a new language over night."

"If only it could have been like this in school," Ash muttered. "I wouldn't have failed French then."

She is ignored.

"But," Lily began, pursing her lips together. "Can we still speak English?"

Tam shrugs, "I don't see why not." She pauses for a second and gets the look she has when she is in the middle of a test. "**See? English."**

"**Oh sweet!"** Ash cries. "**Now we'll have our own language they won't understand. This is just like spies only better!**"

Lily chuckles and whistles Bells. The mare steps carefully from the edge and into the cool water, each step to her mistress is carefully calculated but her unbreakable loyalty would not be wavered by the water it seemed.

Lily smiles and pats the mare affectionately before slowly starting to work the blood from her white coat.

Tam and Ash are dry and clean when the knights ride down to them. Ash is just rolling down her jean legs and Lily is almost finished Bells.

Tristan had returned and they were leaving so they had come down. Upon laying eyes on Lily and Ash's revealing states most of them blush and look away. Galahad, though, can't seem to be able to tear his eyes off of Lily's sleek form as she bends down to scoop up more water in her hands to wash off the last traces of red from the white. His cheeks and ears growing hot.

She notices them all and smiles. "Almost done."

Gawain is leading Bolt and hands him to Tam when she is ready, while Lancelot holds Arrow as Ash pulls on her boots and rolls her other pants leg down, hiding her toned calves.

He raises an eyebrow at her to which she returns with a sharp glare.

"What?"

He shakes his head smirking; from his position, he is getting a better view of her cleavage with that strange shirt she is wearing. "Nothing milady, nothing at all."

She glares at him some more and punches his leg when she takes the reins. "Sure. Two things. Number one: don't call me 'milady', and number two: keep your eyes to yourself, or I'll relieve you of them."

"You're full of threats aren't you?" he grins as she mounts.

"Don't doubt me, dickhead," she snaps moodily.

Dag cuffs Galahad up the back of the head when he notices the pup is staring at Lily, awe and admiration in his eyes.

"Ow," he whines and glares at the healer. "What was that for?"

The giant just glares at him.

Lily giggles as she comes out of the water, looking at the bunch of blushing knights before her, who are looking anywhere but at her. Except Lancelot and Gawain, who are talking, in Lancelot's case arguing, with the girls.

"Awful bashful aren't they?" she giggles, gaining Ash's attention. The men blush harder, apart from Tristan who, as usual, is void of any emotion.

The red head surveys the other males in her presence, feeling a bit guilty that she hadn't been paying attention to see if any were watching Lily. "Good thing for them," she replies. "Removing eyeballs isn't a nice experience, for me."

Lily rolls her eyes and moves to get dressed, much to the others' relief.

"The times are different. Women here don't even show ankles, much less legs and stomachs." Tam explains quickly.

Ash snorts. "That's right. Here you're s'posed to be married before you have sex, aren't ya?"

"No," Bors shakes his head. "Ye don't have to be married."

"Thank God for that," Ash chuckles. "I am not getting married to get laid."

The knights looked at her curiously; they have no idea what 'laid' means, apart from laying down.

Lily shakes her head and does up her jeans then picks up the cloak and walks up to Tristan. She coos at and pats his grey mount before holding the cloak up to him.

"Thank you," she smiled at him, somewhat nervously. "I hope you didn't get cold."

He shakes his head, taking the cloak from her. "No."

The other knights gawk at him in amazement.

She smiles again and nods once then goes back to Bells who is now standing saddled next to a grinning Galahad.

Tristan glares at his brothers-in-arms who are still looking at him oddly but centred his piercing gaze on Galahad, who is too busy looking at Lily and grinning like an idiot to even feel the gaze upon him.

Lily smiles at him. "Thanks."

Taking the reins from his hand, her fingers brush ever so lightly against his and tingles go down both their spines but neither shows they had felt anything.

He gives her a boyish grin before getting back on his own horse.

"No problem milady."

She turns away to hide her light blush she mounts as well.

"Sorry to hold you up," she says as she fastens her sword and dagger to her belt, the bow and quiver strapped securely to the saddle and easy to access.

Arthur nods. "It's quite alright, shall we go?"

The girls nod eagerly.

"I want a bed," Ash groans. "And no wake up calls before lunch."

They laugh and set off.

They fall in line with the knights, Arthur takes the lead, Lancelot and Tristan rode alongside him discussing the route home. Galahad and Gawain are behind them and back a little while the girls ride together, Bors and Dag riding behind them.

The sun had come up further and the space between Ash and Lancelot makes for a rather nice morning and quite enjoyable ride.

"**So, what are we going to do now?**" Ash asks in a bored tone and draws the closest knights' attentions with her chosen language.

Lily shrugs and Tam sighs. "**Follow this lot back and then…I don't know**."

"**What do we do about getting home**?" She forcefully blew away the bit of red fringe that had fallen over her eye and cocks her head questionably.

"**I said I don't know**," Tam snaps back and sighs. "**Sorry**."

Ash shrugs and with a lazy grin replies. "**S'ok, I yell at you lot all the time**."

"What is this language?" Gawain asks, slowing to allow them to catch up.

"English," Tam replies. "It's what we speak where we come from."

He nods slowly. "And may I ask what you were talking of?"

"What we're going to do about our situation," Ash supplied in her bored tone. "And the conclusion is, we don't know."

He chuckles. "You'll think of something; we'll help you."

They all smile sweetly at him, or as sweetly as Ash is capable of. "Thanks."

"**I think he's got eyes for you Tam**," Ash grins cheekily past Lily to the brunette.

Tam glares at her, "**Don't be ridicules, we've known each other for what? A few hours, in which time we've spoken little**."

The man-eater snorts, "**It takes the male population ten seconds to decide if they're interested. Your true love dreams are only in fairy tales Tam, men aren't like that in real life**."

She huffs, "**It does exist Ashley, of course not exactly like fairytales, one day you'll fall in love and you won't know which ways up**."

Lily grins. "**More like the bloke won't know which ways up**."

The sly look on Ash's face unnerves Tam to no end, being a more….clean minded person. "**That** **happens all the time, dearest, I don't leave them like I find them**."

Lily snorts and shakes her head while Tam looks scandalised.

"What?" Galahad asks frowning.

"You do not want to know, trust me," Tam mutters. "And don't you even think about telling them any of your goings on; you'll scar the lot of them for life." she snaps at Ash who has her cheeky grin plastered in place."Wouldn't dream of corrupting their delicate minds Tammy, not to worry."

"I'll tell you right now, missy," Bors says loudly from behind. "We don't have delicate minds, the pup maybe but not the rest of us." He laughs, slapping Dag hard on the back while Galahad glares viscously at them.

Ash laughs with them, though Lily sees the confusion in her eyes and sighs.

"**Which one is he**?" she leans over and hisses in the blonde's ear.

"**You were introduced to them yesterday**," Tam raises an eyebrow at her. "**Surely your memory isn't that bad**."

"**Course not; I ignored them yesterday.**"

Lily shakes her head. Ash is impossible. "Bors." She supplies, speaking for a rare moment in a language that the men know. The man mentioned looks at her quizzically but she continues. "Galahad, Gawain, I'm sure you know which one Lancelot is, Arthur, Dagonet and Tristan." She points to each of them as she says their name. "All clear now?"

Ash nods in satisfaction. "Yep."

"**It's freaking me out,**" Lily whispers reverting back to English. "**How much Dagonet and Tristan look like Dean, if you added them together…**"

She trails off and her friends nodded in understanding. "**It's ok**."

"**I** **feel like…like Tristan…he feels familiar**," she finishes, shrugging her shoulders in defeat.

"Girly," Bors begins, giving them an odd look, showing his slight mistrust of them still. "If ye got something to say, say it how we can understand it."

"It's just female talk Bors, nothing to get upset over we're not plotting to kill you." Ash returned. "Drop. It."

He glared at her then.

"Okay, okay enough!" Tam cries, not liking the building tension at all. "Calm down, it's nothing, honest."

"Perhaps," Arthur says, silencing them all as they turn to look at him. Only then do they notice that they had stopped and are close together, "you ladies would mind not conversing in your native tongue while you are still new to us."

They nod. "We meant no confusion or mistrust," Tam amends quickly.

"Yeah, you're like a bunch of uptight cops. We're not the bad guys so hands off your weapons or I'll cut out your lungs and fry them like eggs," Ash adds as she rides around the lot of them and continues ahead.

Lily sighs inwardly. It is a wonder the knights hadn't been killed already with the way she has been threatening them.

With that thought she glances nervously around at the men and jumps when she sees Dag at her side. She immediately moves after her slightly insane best friend.

Tam sighs again and smiles sheepishly at the knights. "At the rate she's going, she's gonna get us all killed. I apologise for her words."

Arthur nods and they continue after their youngest companions. "I find her rather amusing truthfully."

"You say that now, wait until you've been around her for a couple of days then you'll be wishing you let us wander off to get lost," she informs them dryly.

**A/N: Finished! =] How was it? I was a little unsure about this chapter, but I think it turned out okay in the end. Pretty please review and let me know what you thought of it =]. **

**Thank you, as always, to Kanae Valentine for her terrific work as BETA, without you I'm not sure if it would even be in English :P. Lol. **

**And SUPER thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, alerted and favourite-d. It really does mean a lot to me that you guys enjoy what I write =]. Cookies and ice cream to you all, I hope you keep it up :). **

**Can't wait to hear what you think, til next time,**

**~Angel xo **


	5. Hadrian's Wall

**Chapter 5: Hadrian's Wall**

"You have been with her for longer then that haven't you?" Gawain asks. He likes this woman; he likes them all really. They are a welcome change to the knight's usual routine.

Tammy looks at him with her gentle green eyes. "Yes, much, much longer. I've known those two for seven years. Ash was more innocent then, still a vicious little horror, but less then she is now. And the temptation to strangle her didn't occur as often."

He chuckles, "She even angers her friends."

"You have no idea. I strongly suggest you all run now while you can."

Arthur smiles reassuringly at her. "We shall not be taking leave of you yet, milady; I'm sure she will be no worse than my men. We get along fairly well I think."

"Speak for yourself," Lancelot mutters.

"Well, you insist on pushing her," Tam scolds him. "You have brought her wrath upon yourself."

He gives her a charming grin. "Can't help myself."

She raises an eyebrow at him, clearly unfazed by his flirtatiousness. "Don't come complaining to the rest of us when this backfires on you, Sir Lancelot. Ashley has no mercy."

He snorts. "I'm sure I can handle one woman."

"I doubt you have met many like her."

"Just think it, lads." Bors booms clapping the younger man on the shoulder teasingly. "Lancy has finally met his match in a female: one he cannot bed and cannot beat."

"We'll see about that," he huffs moodily and takes on a brooding expression.

Tam laughs lightly and shakes her head. "We won't be short on entertainment, I see."

Bors laughs. "Just the way it should be."

"Oi! You slow pokes, wanna race?" Ash yells back to them gesturing to the wide open space ahead with a wild gesture of her hand.

"I don't see why you always want to race; Lily wins every time," Tam smirks back urging Bolt into a trot to catch up to her.

She shrugs. "I just like going fast. So, what about it, boys? Reckon you can beat Lil?"

Lancelot rakes his eyes over Bells and smiles. Lily meanwhile is squirming under all the eyes on her.

"I'm sure I can beat her," he grins smugly patting his stallion's neck.

Ash snorts. "Keep dreaming. So is that a yes?"

Arthur looks unsure but Bors, Gawain and Galahad are in it. Dag sits back with Tristan and simply watches. Both remain straight faced as they watch the youngest one squirm under their gazes, both men trying in vain to figure her out.

"C'mon Arthur, don't be such a party pooper," Ash whines at the half roman commander. "It won't kill you, just a bit of fun. Loosen up a little."

He glances around at the others and nods slowly. "Very well, where to?"

"The stream," Tristan replies suddenly. "It's down there, a reasonable distance and it cuts straight across."

"Okay." Ash gathers her reins and stokes her stallion's neck. "First one to cross it wins."

Lancelot smirks at her. "I hope you're not a sore loser."

"I hope you like eating dust," she retorts.

"Knock it off you two, and no cheating," Tam says in her no-bullshit mothering tone.

They line up evenly until each horse is shoulder to shoulder, each smirking to themselves as Lancelot and Ash sulk at Tam's words.

"On your marks." they gripped with their legs and gathered the reins as their mounts waited eagerly to be aloud to run.

"Give us a five second head start will ya, Lil? Gotta give these losers _some _chance." Ash adds, leaning around Lancelot and Tristan to look at her pointedly.

The blonde nods, not trusting herself to speak since Tristan had aligned himself to her left and Dag to her right.

"Go!" Tam shouts and immediately the horses leap forward, all bar Bells who waits patiently.

"You missed the middle bit!" Ash yells at her friend.

"Teach you to pay attention!" Tam returns.

"Okay girl." As soon as the words left her mouth, the mare shoots forward, evening out into her long graceful strides as Lily leaned along her neck.

The others had some distance on her. Arthur and Tristan are fighting for the lead with Lancelot, Ash and Galahad a neck behind them and the others following behind. There is little difference in their horses, each glides across the green as if they are flying. Lily allows herself a small smirk as she guides Bells to the side and lets the mare have her head. The mare immediately recognised the signal to go and lengthens her strides, putting more effort into her gait.

The pair fly past the leaders, leaving them far behind as they gallop to the stream which is now in plain sight. When they reach the edge the mare doesn't slow and instead pushes off and jumps across the clear water, landing perfectly on the other side and slows to a trot. Lily coos praises as she turns her in circles and strokes the mare's damp neck.

They watch the others come, Tristan making it second with Arthur a head behind him.

They slow and bring their mounts to a stop in front of the water and Ash turns to grin at Lancelot in triumph. "You were saying?" He glares at her and she laughs. "Told you Lil would win, and we even got a head start. Even then you didn't come in second anyway."

"Alright Ash, he gets it." Lily smiles, reaching along Bells neck to rub her ears.

They crossed the water and wait for their horses to recover a bit before moving on, resuming their earlier positions. Finally, Lily and Tam got sick of Ash shouting various insults up the line to the dark knight next to Arthur and they left her side, Tam goes to Gawain and Galahad ahead and Lily falls behind.

"Too much, girly?" Bors asks amusedly.

She smiles shyly at him. "Yes…I started to worry about my hearing."

He laughs, "He finally met his match."

She chuckles lightly, "Mm, though Ash always wins and never fights fair."

"Does she now? This'll be good, Dag," the older man grins at his friend and rubs his hands together in anticipation.

The giant shakes his head slightly and looks at Lily. She is watching the people in front of her, a light knowing smile on her delicate features. She looks so small to him. Then again, most people are small compared to him. She is of average height; Tam is a little shorter then she; and Ash is a little taller. The difference in height between the younger two is barely noticeable.

She tilts her head to the side as another nasty set of comments passes between the womanizer and her friend.

"Are you alright?" he asks her softly and her head whips around, her wide-eyed gaze finding his, her intriguing light blue eyes showing her surprise. Slowly she nods, her eyes searching his face. What she looks for he does not know.

"I am sorry, if I have cause you distress, milady," he says again, hoping to have her speak, to find out what so obviously torments her so. Bors takes his attention off the others to look at them.

"No," she whispers finally just when both men had thought she wasn't going to reply. "It is not your fault; _I_ am sorry if I made you feel guilty."

He smiles and she smiles back ever so slightly. "What is it that troubles you?"

She hesitates, sucking in a deep breath.

"It helps to talk about it, Miss Liliana," Bors adds quietly, so the others will not hear. Not that anyone can hear much over Ash and Lancelot but he thought it would give her a better sense of comfort. The poor girl looks jumpy enough.

"You don't have to call me that, Bors, its Lily or Lil," she tells him kindly. "And definitely don't worry about the 'miss' or the 'milady'."

He chuckles. "Alright Lily, what's on your chest lass. You're avoidin' ol' Dag and Tristan like they got some deadly disease."

She tries to fight the smile coming onto her face, but both see it. "I know Tam told you all why. I heard her last night."

"We resemble someone you know," Dag says gently.

"Knew, yeah. You and Tristan look so much like him it's not funny," she looks at him, properly taking in the similarities and finally not feeling afraid.

"Who was he?" Bors asks.

"My brother," she replies softly. "He…died two years ago."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Dag says and she smiles sadly at him.

"Thanks. I've never been able to really get over it. Mostly because it was an accident; it shouldn't have happened. Someone made a mistake and he paid for it," she continues, a single tear slipping down her cheek. "He was in the army, and they were training, with fake weapons….but somehow... somehow some real ones got mixed into the fakes and he was hit…he bled to death before he reached a doctor."

"Is that what ye nightmares are?" Bors muses. He knows this will help her at least to be less wary of Dag and Tristan. Or he hopes so. If they are going to be around for a while she'd have to overcome this fear.

She shrugs. "I don't know, I never remember them. Sometimes they wake me up, but I can never remember what they were about."

The men nod, deciding that she had said enough for now. Too much at once and she might have a breakdown and then they'd be running from Ash. Somehow, the young red headed girl just oozes danger, a threat. And not like the Woad threat either. Woad threats are met by hatred from the knights and, for some, a desire to kill. No, Ash's threat comes with a desire to run and hide, the wrath of a woman is not something to be taken lightly, even in this time where women are second to men.

"How long have you been a knight?" she asks after a moment or two of comfortable silence.

"Nearly fifteen years," Bors replies sullenly then grins. "We get our discharge in a couple of months."

"Congratulations. I don't know much about the Roman Empire. That's more Tam's area," she pauses. "History wasn't one of my strongest points in school."

"You have been educated?" Dag says.

At the same time Bors mutters. "You're not missing out."

She nods and giggles a little. "Yea, we're all educated. Been in school most of my life. Its law where we come from that children start schooling at the age of five and usually end at age seventeen unless you're made repeat a year. Then we can either stop or do specialist training for a job or whatever."

"Incredible, even the girls?" the large bald man continued.

"Well, yes," she chuckled. As if she wasn't proof of that.

"What were you taught?" he seems so enthralled in the idea that Bors wondered briefly if he'd been spending too much time around Arthur.

"Bors, you're _bleeding_!" she yelps.

It takes Dag a second to realise she hadn't been answering his question and his head whips to look at a very confused looking Bors as Lily halts Bells and dismounts. She ducks under Dag's horse's neck and rushes up to the burly knight next to him. She grabs the bottom of his armour and the layers under it and yanks it up the best she can. This reveals a small gash on his right hip that is bleeding lightly. It isn't life threatening in the least, but the young girl was acting like it.

"Would ya look at that?" Bors mutters, cocking his head so he could get a better look at his wound.

"Why didn't you tell someone?" she scolds him as she looks around his saddle for some cloth or something.

He shrugs and takes her hands in his large ones. "Steady lass, it's just a scratch."

"A scratch!" she splutters, again trying to get to it.

Bors holds her firm and continues, "I didn't even know it was there. I'll be fine, get Dag to stitch it up when we get to the wall."

She looks supremely unsure and very worried. "A-are you sure?"

"Yes, come now, back up on your horse so we can get there," he chuckles and releases her. Half dazed and muttering about men, wounds, their pain tolerance, and their stupidity, she goes back to Bells and mounts.

"What's the problem?" Arthur asks as he canters back to them, having noticed they'd stopped.

Bors waves his commander off. "I've got a scratch…"

"It's not a scratch," Lily adds and Arthur looks at her, then back to Bors and finally rests his gaze on Dag.

"He'll be fine," the gentle giant says. "I'll stitch it up when we get to the wall."

The commander nods. "Very well, we're not far, about an hour now Tristan thinks."

The three nod as Arthur rides back to the lead and they catch up.

"Are you alright?" Ash asks immediately as Lil comes even with her and Arrow.

"I'm fine," was her reply as she waves off her concern and flashes her a smile.

The red head raises an eyebrow and looks between Bors, Dag and Lily trying to figure it out. She gives up and settles on glaring at the large pair of knights like no tomorrow, which unnerves them immensely.

"Leave them alone, Ash, they didn't upset me," Lily reassures her. She receives another raised eyebrow and an unconvinced scowl. "You're going to make grown men cry again if you don't stop."

She instantly tears her gaze off the men and focuses instead on the road ahead. "Not a pretty thing to see, a very useful skill, but not pretty," she mutters to herself and Lily laughs.

Tam grins at her. "Glad to see you're livelier, what's funny?"

"Ash."

"Ah, what have you done now?" the older woman asks dryly, wondering what damage control she would have to see to this time.

"Nothin'. Jesus bloody Christ, why is it that every time she says me, you think I've done something?"

"Because it's you." Tammy scoffs.

"Well, I haven't done nothin' just reminiscing." Ash defends.

Tam sighs. "I don't want to know in case I don't already know; it will probably give _me_ nightmares."

"You're so easily damaged Tim Tam. One day I'm really going to have to toughen you up, make a woman out of you yet we will," Ash teases.

"Not if it's your idea of a woman," scowls Tam.

"Well, we're in medieval times now, honey, and there's plenty of cave-boys getting' round. My kinda woman is the one that's going to survive," she grins.

"Don't you dare start corrupting Lily…"

"I'd say it's probably too late for that," Ash commented airily, interrupting the warning with a teasing gleam in her eyes.

Tam's jaw just about hit the ground.

"And pray tell, what kind of woman is this?" Lancelot smirks, his eyes mischievous.

"The type boys like you aren't capable of handling," Ash shoots back, smirking triumphantly.

The other knights paying attention to the banter laugh and thump Lancelot on the back.

"No," Tam stares at Ash then at Lily. "Not you, surely not _you_."

The men, having caught on for the most part to what the girls were on about cast disbelieving looks at Lily.

They get even more surprised when she doesn't squirm under their intense gazes but huffs. "Don't be ridiculous, it's impossible to be as bad as her."

Ash chuckles evilly and Lily shoots her a warning glare as Tam sighs in relief. "Thank God for that, I don't think I could possibly handle two of you when one is too much."

"I don't know how you have not killed her yet," Gawain asks, clearly amused as he tries to hide his grin.

"Can't catch her," Tam replies seriously.

Ash grins smugly and then proceeds to ignore them.

As the group separates Galahad comes up to Lily and falls in line with her. "You are feeling better?" he asks, smiling at her.

She returns it whole-heartedly. "Yes, thank you."

"Are you not cold my lady?"

"No, I'm fine thanks. I don't feel the cold much. And it's just Lily," she flashes him another bright happy smile that makes his insides melt.

He nods. _Lily…_

"Wow…" she whispers suddenly and Galahad finally removes his gaze from her to where she is looking and immediately notices the wall.

"Well holy fruitcake," Ash says and earned herself more looks. "That's a lot of rock. Hey, Arthur, you got enough wall there man?"

He looks at her and raises his eyebrow. "Hadrian's Wall..."

"Yeah yeah yeah, I'm teasing."

"…Very well, here ladies put these cloaks on," he looks pointedly at his men who easily oblige.

"Why?" Tam asks as she confusedly takes the fabric from Gawain and nods in thanks.

"So as not to draw to much attention, your attire is… different," Arthur explains.

Lily made an 'o' shape with her lips and gratefully went to take the one Galahad was offering her. Instead of handing it to her, he drapes it over her shoulders with another of his adorable smiles and she feels heat on her cheeks. "Thanks."

He nods happily and grins some more.

Tristan once again surprises himself with the protective feeling in his gut and the sudden desire to get the whelp as far away as possible from the girl, who he has barely exchanged ten words with. She seems at ease with Dagonet now, after she has ridden with him for a while and she keeps looking at Bors worriedly.

Ash, meanwhile, is being difficult. Eyeing the cloak Dag is trying to give her. "What's wrong with my _attire_?"

Arthur clears his throat uncomfortably and looks to Tam and Lily for help.

"He means it's too showy and doesn't want to be swarmed by all the men in the fort," Lily supplies shortly and Arthur nods his thanks to her.

Ash snorts, "_This_ is not showy and I can handle any male or male_s_, as the case may be."

"In this time it is, just take the damn cloak," Tam says firmly, and reluctantly Ash grumbles and takes the thing, throws it around her shoulders and fastens it at the front.

"There, happy?" she snaps.

Arthur nods and goes on down the well-worn road that leads to a large set of doors.

Lily keeps her mouth shut, one hand keeping her cloak as closed as possible and the other on the reins and eyes glued on the approaching wall. Ash continues her menacing mutterings, pointedly ignoring everyone and Tam is marvelling over the whole thing with awe.

Yet all three are nervously awaiting their introduction to the world that was not their own.

Ash personally plans on killing the next person who ticks her off, so long as it wasn't the future king or one of his knights. In the high chance that it was one of the afore mentioned, they would just get a good bashing. She is certain Tam would blow a gasket if she interfered with history.

And if the young puppy-dog eyed, curly headed, whinny one doesn't stop casting those puppy eyes on Lily, she is going to kill him anyway. Knight or not. She sends another down right deadly scowl at him as they enter the fort and trot up the….street, ally, whatever it was to a little court yard thing and halt their horses and begin dismounting.

People cluster around the iron-fenced area, children with wooden swords laugh excitedly at the return of the knights and the girls are given surprised looks from the squires that await them in the yard.

"Welcome home, Arthur." A man steps forward and takes the reins from the commander.

"Jols." he replies warmly.

"Lancelot."

The man, Jols, nods at other knight as one of the boys takes his horses reins.

Lancelot smiles and nods at him in greeting.

"And who is it that you have brought back?" he asks, having noticed the three strangers.

Ash glares at him with her arms folded firmly across her chest, Lily stands behind her and nervously regards her surroundings while Tam takes in ever little detail.

"This is Lady Tamara, Lady Liliana and Lady Ashley, whom we came across on our way back. Jols, if you could find them stalls for their horses and rooms?" Arthur asks, gesturing for the girls to follow him.

"Of course," Jols smiles welcomingly at them.

"Thank you."

Lily jumps when one of the young stable hands holds out his hand for Bells reins and she regards him with caution.

"Come Lily." Dag says gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, she is in good hands." Nodding slowly she gives up the reins and smiles slightly at the boy.

"This way." He leads her to Arthur.

Bors had gone off to the side, passionately kissing a red headed woman, and is surrounded by a pack of little kids.

"Are they _his_?" she exclaims, mouth open.

Gawain laughs, "Aye."

"No, no." Lancelot adds. "Some of them are mine."

Bors growls and spins around to glare at the dark knight. Apparently, they are in hearing range. Ash takes one look at Lancelot's smug face and slaps him up the side of the head. Hard. "Asshole," she hisses at him as he yelps.

Gawain goes to say something but she whips around to set her death glare on him. "Do you want me to hit you to?" she snaps. "Because that can be arranged, buddy."

He wisely shuts his mouth.

"Should I wait?" Lily asks quietly. "He needs to be stitched."

Dag looks to Bors and his extensive brood for a moment then nods. "He has said hello, we can borrow him now."

The girl sighs in relief then says to Tam, "You guys go with the others. Dagonet and I are just gonna put Bors back together."

They nod and Arthur leads the way out of the courtyard.

"Bors, c'mon you said when we got back you'd let us stitch you up," Lily calls to him anxiously. Dag takes her arm and leads her over to the family.

"It's just a scratch," he mumbles to his woman who turns her questioning gaze on him.

"It's not a scratch," Lily corrects him firmly.

"Oh, hush, girl."

"Bors," she pouts, "let me put my mind to rest at least."

He sighs. "Can't you see I'm spending time with my little barsteds?"

She folds her arms and looks to the red head he has his arm around. "Do you mind if we borrow him from you for a moment? We won't be long I promise."

"Bors," the woman says firmly, rocking the baby she holds. "Who is this? And what's this scratch?"

"Nothing to worry about, my little flower, and this is Lily, sweet girl, easily worried."

"I'm Vanora," she smiles kindly at the fair-headed girl who smiles shyly back. "Nice to meet you."

"And you... Could you tell him please?"

"Go on, off with you and ease the poor girl's mind and my own," she tells him, authority dripping from her voice.

He opens his mouth to protest but shuts it with the glare she gives him.

Sighing he allows Lily to tug him away towards the infirmary, Dag leading the way quite amused.

**AN: Hellooo all, I'm sorry it's taken so long to update. My BETA has been really, really busy. But she's done a wonderful job and I couldn't be more thankful. Thank you so much :). **

**My holidays have officially started today (WOOHOO!) lol, and I might be going away for maybe a month or there abouts. So, I won't have any internet for then. Just warning you, it's not decided yet, but it's a possibility. So I won't have died, lol, just no internet. I will update again as soon as I can though. **

**Thank you all so much for reading and super thank you's to everyone who reviewed. It's really a wonderful feeling to know that people like what I write, so please, please, **_**please**_** review and let me know what you think! **

**Have a wonderful day, till next time, **

**~Angel xoxo **


	6. Loosing Touch

**A/N: Ohmygod, yes, I know it's been to long, and I'm sorry. I was waiting on my BETA but she has been really, really busy as of late and I haven't been able to reach her to see how she's going. So, I thought I'd just put this chapter up anyway. **

**You are forewarned, I've done all the checking myself and I've probably missed a number of errors. Also, as Kanae changes everything to present tense, the tense may be a bit different. **

**Thank you all very much for your patience. Many thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter as well, it means a lot. **

**I hope you enjoy this one to! Please review when you're done!**

**Chapter 6: Loosing Touch**

"I'll kill him." Ash declares loudly. "I swear…"

"Alright, alright," Lily groans. "We get the point- and it's not like we doubt you."

The red head huffs and slides into the warm water with a contented sigh. Tam rolls her eyes and continues washing her long hair.

"This is good. Much better then this morning's ice bath." Ash comments offhandedly.

The girls had been quick to demand a bath after Lily had gotten back from helping Dag with Bors. They had been shown to their rooms, which were in the knights' barracks, and had their saddlebags and weapons placed in there. Lancelot had once again pissed Ash off to the point where she'd thumped him. No one was quite sure what he did, but whatever it was, it had steam coming out Ash's ears so no one dared to ask.

"Mmhm," Tam adds, dropping under the water to wash out the soap.

They were in the bathhouse joined onto the barracks and before leaving the large dinning room where they had eaten, Ash had threatened every one of their hosts with their lives if they entered or decided to be peeping toms. Lancelot had been warned twice.

"I could just curl up and go to sleep." Lily sighs happily.

Ash pops one eye open to look at her friend then closes it again. "Yes, but first I need alcohol."

They chuckle and Lily rises, water dripping down her body as she grabs a towel next to the edge and wraps herself up. "I need to get out before I do fall asleep and drown."

Ash opens one eye again. "I wouldn't let you drown, stupid."

"Just saying, I know you wouldn't."

Tam chuckles at them amusedly. "And you say _I'm_ the mother hen!"

Ash huffs and mutters to herself about gods knows what.

"Well you do!" Tam tries again. "You'd have Lily wrapped in bubble wrap if you could, with pillows strapped to her body."

Lily smirks at the two in amusement as she dries her hair with another towel.

"Yeah, and you'd be in a giant bubble." Ash muses, picking up and inspecting the soap before taking it to her hair. "Yeah, one that ensures I can't hear you, that'd be good."

Tammy snorts. "Whatever. You cannot call me the mother hen again, when you're worse then I am."

"Geez you pair, can you not do this? I'm big enough and ugly enough to look after myself, ya know." Lily tosses over her shoulder.

Ash scoffs. "Pff, you're not ugly and having protective friends isn't a bad thing, missy."

"Yes, but I don't have '_protective friends'_, I have _body guards_." She smirks. "You make me feel breakable."

"You are breakable, and so is Tammy and pretty much everyone else, but that is not the point." Ash stresses. "I don't give a flying fish about anyone else. In those cases I do most of the breaking."

Tam nods her agreement, unimpressed. "We know, we do most of the stitching up."

Ash waves her off noncommittally. "You get lots of practise. You could be a doctor instead of your plants and herds and all that natural goodness shit."

Tammy rolls her eyes; she was going to be a biologist. Herbal remedies was only a hobby. And she knows perfectly well that Ash knew this, the red head was just stirring.

A knock on the door silenced any more arguing. Lily lets out a sharp 'eep' and pulls the towel tighter around her and the other two duck further into the water.

"Prance-a-lot, if that's you, I'll rip your head fair off your shoulders with my bare hands!" Ash calls out as she scrambles out of the water and leaps at another towel, hastily looking around herself for something to use as a weapon.

A feminine laugh comes from the other side of the wooden barrier. "Nay, milady, Lancelot is at the tavern. Arthur asked me to bring you some clothes."

"Vanora?" Lily asks unsurely. She pulls the door open a crack to look out before opening it all the way to show the smiling woman holding bundles of clothing.

"Can I come in?"

Lil glances back at her friends who are both clad in towels before she smiles and nods. "Sure."

With another kind smile, Vanora makes her way into the bath house and nudges the door shut behind her with her foot.

"You did a fine job on my Bors…" She trails off, seemingly unsure on how to address them.

"Just Lily, we're not royalty or anything." The youngest smiles, wringing out her shoulder length hair. "And this is Ash and Tammy."

"Hi, nice to meet you," Tam says politely. "Can we help you with those?" She asks, pointing to the bundle.

"What is it?" Ash asks curiously.

"Clothes, weren't you listening?" Lily chuckles.

"Nope,"

Vanora laughs and hands some of the material to Tam, who unfolds it and holds the green dress against herself. "Thank you, it should fit…hopefully."

"I hope you don't mind." Lily says as she's handed her own neatly folded pile.

"Of course not! I haven't fit them for a while now. Eight changed my figure a bit." Van laughs.

Lily eyes the red dress like it might be going to leap out and eat her and she was brought out of her thoughts by Ash's sharp statement.

"Oh _hell no_!" She is holding the blue garment at arms length, eyeing it with disgust. "I don't do dresses, or long skirts. Got any pants?"

Vanora frowns at her. "You don't wear dresses?"

"Not unless I'm drugged or seriously drunk." She replies. Roughly refolding it and handing it back to Vanora. "Sorry."

"Ashley." Tam says firmly. "It is custom here that women wear dresses or floor length skirts at all times. Only men wear trousers."

"Well…that's just stupid." Ash huffs with a glare, readjusting her towel. "And it's all about to change."

"Is it possible to get pants?" Lily asks Vanora hopefully. "We don't mean to insult you, we're just not used to…these." She points to the dress.

"You don't insult me, lass." Van chuckles again. "I should be able to find you some, the knights have clothing stashed away from when they were younger that might fit you. I'll be right back." They nod as she disappears out the door.

"Why do you two have to be difficult?" Tam asks accusingly as she steps nearer to the wall to change.

"I don't _do _dresses." Ash states forcefully. "I don't care where we are, or when we are, I _don't_ do dresses."

"I'm more comfortable in pants." Lily shrugs, smiling sheepishly.

"You'll draw attention." Tam argues.

This time Ash shrugs. "We'll draw attention anyway, because A. We're new. B. We're hot, and C. It seems we arrived with the local celebrities. This place has low standards."

Tam snorts and beckons to Lily. "Can you do up the back please?"

Giggling, the blonde skips over and fastens the ties. "And another thing, dresses are harder to get into then pants."

"That sounded so wrong." Ash mutters and is hit with two pairs of glares.

"There's something seriously wrong with you." Tammy declares.

The red head smirks. "And this is news to me because…?"

"Alright," Vanora says as she opens and shuts the door whilst inspecting the several pairs of breeches and tunics she carries. "One of these should fit you." She hands a couple to Lily, who smiles gratefully at her and a few more to Ash, who grins.

"Will the men mind?" Lily asks as she pulls on a pair of black leather breeches under her towel.

"They are old clothes; they have long grown out of them." Vanora waves it off, unfazed. "So how _did_ you end up with that rowdy lot?"

"We ran into them yesterday and as we didn't have anywhere to go, Arthur offered to bring us back here." Tam replies, combing her fingers through her hair and sweeps it all over one shoulder.

Lily has dressed, happy with the leather pants and a white tunic that was only a size or so to big. "Wow, these must have been from ages ago." She says and pulls up the sleeves so they bunched together at her elbows.

"I'll say." Ash agrees, inspecting her own black leather breeches and black tunic. She has also put a brown vest over the top for the cooler Britain air. "I doubt they've been this skinny for a while."

Vanora chuckles. "No, not for a while, are you ready? I'll take you to the tavern and you can get some supper, the men are probably all there."

Lily looks unsurely to the girls who shrug. "Okay, I could use some food come to think of it." Ash grins, placing her arm through Lily's.

"Then can we go to sleep?" The blonde asks as they follow Vanora, quickly throwing their own clothes into their rooms on the way past.

"Yep, and if anyone wakes me up, I'll kill ya's." Ash grins cheekily.

Vanora gives them an odd look but smiles anyway and ushers them from the barracks. "How long do you plan to stay?" She asks.

The girls exchange a look. "Um...really couldn't tell you."

"What are you doing in Brittain? You're accents don't sound familiar."

"Yeah, we know." Ash smiles easily at her.

"And we don't really know. We were just kind of…dropped here." Tam finishes.

Vanora looks even more confused now then she did before, but seems to drop it when they reach a populated area that screamed 'pub'.  
"Ahh, drink time!" Ash grins wickedly. "And time to check out what Hadrian's Wall has to offer."

The other two sigh while Vanora swaps her confused look for an amused one. "I thought the knights would 'ave caught ye fancy lass. Especially Lancelot, quite the charmer he is, and a favourite to."

Ash snorts as they walk up the steps and follow her through the crowd to the back. "Nah, not my standard,

"Strange." Van smiles at her, her eyes laughing. "You're the second woman _not_ to be interested in him."

"Who was the first?" Ash replies. _No wonder he's got a massive ego,_ she thought.

"Me."

The four laugh. "Well, you've got three and four here." Tam chuckles over the busy tavern, gesturing between herself and Lily.

"I think we're going to get along just fine." Vanora smirks and heads for the table that the knights are all sitting around. Save for Arthur.

"My, my, my, Lancelot, you're loosing your touch." The red head chuckles at the infamous womaniser.

He looks at her in confusion, as did the other knights.

"There are four women in the fort that you haven't bedded, nor are they in love with you." She explains smugly.

He frowns. "Four?"

She nods, her smile growing wider. "And their pretty ones might I add, you must be loosing your touch." She says, feigning sympathy.

Ash plops herself down at the end and busies herself with scanning the crowd while she tries not to laugh. Lily slides in between Dag and Bors and Tam sits next to Gawain down the other end.

Lancelot looks around. "Where are they?"

Van glances over his head, sending her amused look at Bors who quickly catches on and plays along. Any chance to mess with the dark knight didn't get passed up by the eldest warrior.

"Oh, yes, _those_ pretty little things. Down right beautiful they are, could'a been goddesses them ones." He muses thoughtfully.

Van reaches over and slaps his arm. "What were you doing lookin at them?"

"Nothin' petal, nothin'." He amends quickly, gently nudging a blushing Lily in the ribs, winking at her.

The blonde turns her face to Dagonet, least she give the game away. He grins at her. Ash is biting her lip trying not to laugh and Tam is watching the concentration on the handsome man's face as he starts to take them seriously.

"Aye." Gawain agrees, sparing a moment to wink at Tammy who smiles and looks back at Lancelot.

He frowns, racking his brains for such women in the fort. There were many agreeable ones of course, but he'd dealt with them. Well, most of them. He scans the faces of his companions with suspicion. They all look normal, looking at him as if waiting for him to come to some conclusion. He looks to Tristan, silently asking if it were true. For a split second, the scout glances at Lily's face, still flushed from Bors' compliment then nods once to the man staring at him.

Lancelot's mouth drops. Tristan agrees. How on _earth _had he missed such females as the ones described?

"Ooh." Ash suddenly coos, watching a table across the room with interest. "Lily, I found some good lookin' ones, you comin'?"

The blonde looks at her and to where she was gesturing to. Her eyes fell on some alright looking men dressed in armoured uniforms. After a moment of inspecting the men she looks back to Ash.

"Well?" The red head persists.

Lil drums her fingers on the table in thought. They were good looking. Ash stands up and bounds around to her. Only then does Lancelot say something.

"You're wearing my tunic." He informs her, half smug, half stunned.

"Oh." She looks down at herself and scrunches up her nose. "I shall have to burn it then. Now, Lily, are you coming to meet our new toys or not?"

Lancelot gapes, looking between Ash and the men she had been eyeballing.

"Those are roman guards." Dagonet says slowly, gauging the men with accusing eyes. "It is not a good idea that you get involved with the Romans."

Ash raises a lone eyebrow.

"Aye, tis not a good idea, lass, their a bad bunch, Romans." Bors adds tightly. Vanora excuses herself saying she has to work, kisses Bors on the cheek and leaves.

"Stay away from them, Ash." Tam decides. "We don't need any trouble, and there aren't any forms _protection_ here, remember?"

The girl snorts, not removing her eyes from the men. "You don't want to know how many times I've not…"

"Alright! Shut up!" Tam interrupts and screws her eyes shut as Lily laughs and shakes her head.

"I'll be fine, but, Lil, stay away from the Romans." She tells her friend firmly before she slips away from the table, winding her way around the tables, ignoring all the other men as she approaches the ones she has sighted.

Lancelot snorts and returns to his drink, while the others watch worriedly.

"Did she not hear us?" Galahad asks, a bit huffily. "We said they weren't to be dealt with."

Tam shrugs. "She only listens to Lily, and since she didn't say anything…why didn't you say anything?"

The girl runs a hand through her hair and leans back slightly. "She'll be fine. We've been with worse then Romans."

"Worse?" Lancelot questions at the same time as Tam splutters. "_We've_? What do you mean, _we've_?"

Realising her mistake Lily clamps her mouth shut and ignores the pair of them.

Lancelot continues to sulk after that, watching his reflection in his mug of ale, or trying to. He can not figure out who the four women are. And he can not for the life of him understand _why _Ash had skipped off to a bunch of Romans when _he_ was right here.

It hit him then, the women, or three of them, must have been Ash, Tam and Lily. The fourth was probably Vanora. He huffs again and downs the rest of his ale, then yells for more.

"Someone's sulking." Galahad taunts, smirking.

"Shut it, pup."

"You're going to have a hangover if you keep drinking like that." Tam scolds, every part the authoritative figure.

"Woman, I don't need your fussing." He retorts, taking another defiant mouthful.

She shakes her head at him and mutters something along the lines of 'as bad as Ash', but he couldn't be sure. He is trying not to listen.

At some point, Lily came out of her quiet state and got up, earning quick glances, she was wearing one of Tristan's old tunics and someone's breeches, but they couldn't be sure of whose. The knights all made a mental note to ask them how exactly they had come into possession of their to-small-clothing.

She smiles tiredly and mutters a soft 'good night' before making her way out of the tavern, pausing briefly to say something to Ash and dodge a set of groping hands.

The red head replies, slaps the man who had tried to grab her friend and returns to the man whose lap she was sitting on.

Lily leaves the tavern on her own. Leaving the noise behind her as she picks her way back to the barracks, turning to her memory for the path she needs to take.

She feels the presence behind her, it had appeared since she left the crowded area and has followed her all the way. She wasn't scared, the knowledge that someone was following her didn't worry her, she found. It felt…comforting, like she _knew_ it. She reaches her door and turns the knob, then just stands there in the open doorway. Suddenly, she looks up, straight into the shadow that hid her 'stalker' at the other end of the hall.

"Thank you." She whispers, loud enough for him to hear before she slips away and closes the door behind her.

She strips off and slides under the blankets, watching the moonlight that filters in through the window as it dances across the floor. Gingerly, she closes her eyes, hoping that tonight she wouldn't cause her friends the distress that came with the petrifying nightmares, which she couldn't remember.

**A/N: Okay, so this one was a bit boring and I'm not really sure if I'm entirely happy with it or not. I kept making little changes but in the end I just thought stuff it…Lol. I have the next chapters written, it's just a case of double, triple and quadruple checking them lol. **

**Pretty, _pretty please_ review! I apologise again for the wait, I will have the next one up as soon as I can. **

**~Meg xxx**


	7. Home Remedies

**A/N: Thank you so much to **_**Anime Princess**_**, **_**M I Buvered**_**, **_**princesspormegranate**_** and **_**BooBoo33**_** for the reviews! Means so much and it's a great motivation :).**

**Hope you like this chapter, I've done the editing again, so I'm sorry for any mistakes! Please leave your comments at the end! (: **

**:Chapter 7: Home Remedies:**

**Lily's POV**

I sit bolt upright, my heart pounding wildly in my chest, threatening to jump out of my mouth. My eyes dart around the room in a rush, and I breathe a little more evenly as I remember.

We're in ancient England, with Arthur and his knights. I am in the room they'd given me.

I'm okay.

I wait for the sounds of running feet, coming to see what the screaming was but they never came.

Sighing in relief, I swing my legs over the side of the bed, setting my feet firmly on the wooden floor. I can't have screamed.

It takes me a few seconds to calm down enough to stand up and get dressed. I pull on the breeches and tunic Vanora had given me from the day before, as it's all I have for now, and tuck my dagger into the top of my riding boot.

I take another set of deep, calming breaths as I stare at the doorknob before opening it and cautiously stepping out. There is no one in the hall, all the other doors were shut and it is quiet.

Making my way down the set of stairs to the outside, I look up at the slightly overcast sky. There is a ghost of a breeze that tickles my skin but it isn't cold. Although, I'm not the best person to gauge temperature. I can run around in snow with not much more then jeans and a long sleeved shirt on, while everyone else look like Eskimos. I'm not even sure what season it is.

Brushing off the feelings of uncertainty, I concentrate on going the right way and not getting lost. I figure someone I know will be at the tavern.

Coming up to the familiar building, I smile, recognising the people that stand or sit at the table we had occupied last night. They were the only ones there. Vanora and Tam are drying up mugs at the back while the knights, minus Lancelot, Tristan and Arthur, are sitting around the table with food set in front of them. Bors is holding his head in his hands as a little boy tugs on the hem of his tunic.

I smile at them as I pass and skip up to Tam, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Morning." I smile

She chuckles. "Morning, sleep well?"

"As far as I know, yeah. Hi, Vanora."

She looks up from the baby she holds in one arm and smiles kindly. "Mornin' Lily, you look well."

"Yea, must have slept well. Anyone seen Ash?"

"Not since last night. She left with her victim 'bout an hour after you did."

I nod. What Ash does, no longer surprises me. She _was_ slightly out of control, but it was her nature, thanks to how she was raised. "She'll turn up soon."

Tam nods, she was used to it, too, but it still bugs her.

I grab a mug and get myself some water then go over to the table and set it down next to Dagonet and tap Bors on the shoulder.

"Got a hangover there, Bors?" I ask, smirking.

"_Shh_ girl. Five, stop ye nagging boy, go to your mother." He exclaims to the boy, who reluctantly does as he is told.

Patting his shoulder sympathetically, I go back behind the bar to Vanora. "Is there a kitchen back there?"

"Yes, what you after?" The woman replies, now directing her son out the door where the rest of his siblings are running around.

"Just gonna make some tea…would you have any ginger? And lemon, orange and honey?"

Vanora nods slowly. "Yes, I think there's all of that in there, what are you making?"

"Tea." I smile and disappear into the kitchen to begin, hoping that I remember the home remedy to help hangovers correctly. But I doubt I'll get it to wrong, I make it often enough for Ash.

With some help from Vanora, I boiled the water over the fire and locate all the other things I need. I boil the ginger roots for what I guess to be ten minutes, strained it into what I _think_ is something similar to a tea pot and add the lemon, orange juice and the honey.

Pouring the liquid into two mugs, I test my concoction, then, satisfied that it was drinkable, return to my new friends. I place one on the bar and set the other in front of Bors, who eyed it, and then me.

"What is it?"

"Tea, it'll help with your hangover, make you feel better." I reply, pushing the mug towards him. "Drink it."

He picks it up and brings it to his nose, inhaling its tangy scent suspiciously.

"It won't hurt you. Unless you're allergic to ginger, lemons, oranges, honey or water." I say over my shoulder as I return to Vanora's side.

Tam, who has sat down next to Gawain, rolls her eyes at the big man and continues picking away at her own plate of food.

"Urgh." The loud groan makes us all look up and I smirk as Ash almost drags herself up the stairs to us.

I hold out the other mug to her and say. "Morning sunshine!" A little louder then is truly necessary.

She noticeably winces and scowls at me. "Cruel." She mutters under her breath.

I continue to smirk at her as we seat ourselves. "And how was last night?"

The men snuck looks at her over their food at this question, they really weren't pleased with it. Lancelot had sulked over it all the time I was here. Poor fellow.

Ash grunts and nods her thanks to Vanora as she places a plate in front of her. "Up to shit."

"What? No good?" I tease, it wasn't often that Ash lucked out.

"No, no need to bother with Romans, Lil. You get them drunk, and they pass out. Three of them did it! Gutless wonders, no stomach!" She mutters unhappily. "I hate this place."

Tam and I snort. "And you hate it because of the lack of suitable male company, rather then the fact that we don't belong here?"

"At the moment? Yes."

I shake my head at her as she sips more of her tea. Bors has demolished all of his and seems to be waiting for its affects.

"What _is_ this?" Ash asks, poking at her slice of pie.

"Steak and kidney pie." Galahad replies helpfully.

She blanches. "_Kidney_? …I think I'm going to be sick..." She pushes away the plate and rests her head on the table instead.

I laugh at the look on Tammy's face, her mouth hangs open, ready to receive another spoonful of her meal. She hurriedly puts it down and coughs. "Do have _any_ idea what the kidney _does_?" She all but shrieks, and Ash and Bors immediately recoil and clutch their heads at her volume. The others all shake their heads and she pales a little more.

I chuckle but shut up quickly as she rounds on me.

"You be quiet." She shoves her plate away even further and watches the men in disgust as they shrug and continue eating.

"I hate this place. The people are nuts." Ash mumbles, face still hidden in her arms. "Pie full of kidneys, soldiers who can't drink, no running water…what next?"

I pat her shoulder calmingly. "I'm sure you'll find something to eat that doesn't have a kidney in it, and I'm sure there are some men here you can harass."

She grumbles some more, keeping her head down on the table.

I watch with bubbling interest as Gawain tries to persuade Tam to eat something, almost laughing out loud when she folds her arms and glares at him. He looks at a loss, he obviously thinks she needs to eat and Tam has some how taken his caring as an insult. And now she is sulking.

We could be so childish, I realise. At home it probably wouldn't have mattered quite as much, we were playing usually. I knew I acted more childishly then I should, but I had my reasons. To see it come from Tammy, though, was very amusing, since she chips Ash and I for it all the time.

"No." She replies stubbornly, glaring at the food on the end of the fork that Gawain is holding in front of her face.

I bite my lip to keep quiet and exchange an amused look with Galahad, who sits directly across from me.

I look up when I hear footsteps and spot Lancelot stumble towards us, looking even worse then Ash.

"I'll get some more tea." I say quietly, looking him up and down. His hair is more unruly then before, his eyes are bloodshot, and he looks much paler then he should have. "I'll get a _lot_ more tea." I correct, already making for the kitchen.

"Just what I need," I faintly hear Ash mutter. "Prance-a-lot, with a hangover."

I re-emerge to see that they have all settled around the table and Gawain and Galahad, the first of which having given up on trying to feed Tam, have taken to teasing Lancelot.

"Leave him alone." I scold, setting the tea in front of him. "He looks like he's a member of the dead, now shush."

He offers me a small smile before eyeing the steaming mix apprehensively.

"Yes, you have to drink it. It will help with your head."

I place one hand on my hip and stare at him, it was my sign that said 'do as you're told, or I _will_ make you.'

He seems to get the hint, sips it, and nods.

I shake my head. "Why do I always get stuck with the stubborn ones?"

"Cause." Tam says, again pushing away the plate that Gawain has given to her. "You have this amazing ability to have people do what you tell them to. I will eventually give up, and Ash would kill them in her frustration."

"They start it." My best friend immediately retorts.

I chuckle. "Sure they do."

She mutters something else that I can't understand, but probably wouldn't have liked.

"What are we doing today?" Tam asks, smacking Gawain's persistent hand away.

"I don't know?" I reply and Ash shrugs.

"Sleep?" She offers.

I roll my eyes and add. "I don't think she'll be fit enough to do too much of anything in her state." She looks up to glare at me.

"I don't give a shit." Her words are slightly slurred and make for a highly amusing sight, so it wasn't surprising when we started laughing.

"See Arthur and see if we can't make ourselves useful while we're here maybe?" Tam suggests, ever the polite guest. "I can't go long with out doing something constructive."

"We could give you a tour if you'd like." Galahad grins, looking at me.

What can I say? He has an infective smile, I had to smile back. "Maybe later."

His face fell a little but perks up when I smile at him again.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Ash mutters as she stands up, downs the rest of her tea then gasps at the heat and bolts for the kitchen entrance.

I look at Tam, who is staring after her in lost amazement, and blink. "I think, I may be wrong, but I _think_ she just burned her throat."

"SHUT UP LILIANA!" She shrieks from out back.

"Not enough to damage her voice obviously." Tam grins, sounding some what disappointed.

"That'll be the day."

"What day?" Dagonet asks, confused.

"The day _she_ looses her voice." I giggle.

oOo

**Normal POV**

As breakfast concluded, the group disperses in their own directions. Meaning Lancelot, Ash and Bors had gone back to bed, leaving the rest to do whatever they liked.

Vanora shooed them out of the tavern, saying something about fresh air and she needed to clear up, so the others had agreed to take Tam and Lily to Arthur to further sort out their arrangements.

"You don't need to repay us." Gawain insists again as they near the door that hides Arthur's medieval version of an office.

Tam sighs. "As you _keep_ saying, think of it as more of a easing of my mind then, if it makes you feel better."

"Boredom killer." Lily adds helpfully, smiling at the three knights.

Gawain shakes his head. "If you insist…"

"I do." Tam puts a hand on his arm and smiles reassuringly. It was plainly not up for discussion any longer.

Dagonet knocks on the door and a moment later they hear Arthur's admitting voice from within. They enter and find him sitting behind a desk that has paper scattered all over it.

"Yes?" The famous commander says, smiling somewhat tiredly at them all in greeting.

"Hi Arthur, I was wondering if there was anything we could do to help out around here?" Tam states, very business like. "Since we don't know how long we'll be here, or what the purpose of us being brought to Brittan is, I believe we should make ourselves useful to you in the mean time."

"Please do not feel the need to repay us, Tamara." Arthur replies kindly.

"So your men keep telling me, and telling me, and telling me. But I'd really rather be of some use."

He sighs thoughtfully. "I will think about it then, if you insist upon it. Do you have preferences?"

She hesitates. "Well…I suppose, yes, but I'm not sure if that knowledge would be of any use to you."

"You did say that you and Lily had been trained in healing didn't you?" Arthur points out, abandoning the quill in his hand.

"A little. We were taught how to stich up wounds, deal with bites, fevers, set broken limbs…that sort of thing. But I wouldn't trust us with someone's life. We're by no means experts or professionals." Tam adds hurriedly just before Lily could point out that fact.

Arthur chuckles. "Don't worry. I would not give you such a burden unless you were ready. What of you Lily?"

She smiles sweetly at him. "Morning Arthur. Whatever you want me to do I suppose." She shrugs. "I'll try whatever, pretty much."

He nods, thinking. "We can always use another healer, if you know herbs and things. Vanora might need a hand in the tavern."

"Ash's area." Tam and Lil reply instantly. "She deals with drunks better then we do."

The men laugh, that is easily believable. "Fair enough. If you want me to find you something then I shall look into it."

"Thanks." Tam says appreciatively.

"Don't worry yourself over it, Arthur, she just likes to be doing something all the time." Lily grins.

"Still, it may be useful." He smiles back. "If you will excuse me, I have some work to catch up on." He gestures to his over papered desk.

"Maybe you need a secretary." Lily giggles, looking at the mass of paper.

"Secretary?"

"Yeah, it's someone you sorts out all the paper side of things. Keeps track of when and where you have to be, dates, supply lists, that kind of stuff."

The commander perks up, more interested now. "Really? That sounds…good."

The girls laugh. "If you want us to, one can work in here and one can be in the infirmary. Or we can both be on call to help out in the infirmary."

He nods, warming up to the idea. "Would Ash help? So there is no pressure on you?"

The two glance at each other.

"She might help out Vanora, she has done that sort of thing before." Tam says tentatively.

"Good luck getting her to do anything else. She hates book work with a passion and makes it perfectly clear that she only breaks people, not fixes them." Lily grins. "I doubt she'll do much of anything until she gets bored though."

Arthur chuckles. "Then it is settled, which ever way you want to do it."

The girls share another look.

"I'd say most of the healing would be illnesses." Lily states. "That's more your area, I can do the books, and talk Ash into the barmaid thing. You can come get me if someone needs stitches."

Tammy agrees. "Okay then. When do you want us to start?"

"And this isn't going to be hours and hours is it?" Lily adds quickly.

"No, once I get everything under control it will be relatively easy to keep track of the work. It just builds up when I am away." Arthur says, glaring distastefully at the work. "I will do that, in the mean time Dagonet will show you the infirmary, I'm sure, and where things are."

The giant knight nods, smiling at the girls. "This way."

They follow him out, thanking Arthur over their shoulders as Gawain and Galahad trail behind them.

oOo

"Well, what now?" Lily asks as she sets a jar of…something, back on its shelf. They are standing in the infirmary, taking in everything as Dagonet points it out. The room is set up with beds along either wall and a large walkway in between. At the far end are shelves lined with herbs, pans, bandages, needles, string and all the medical supplies you could have in medieval times.

Tam has gotten him to tell her the names of the herbs at least three times, and she marks down the amount and queries him on the ones that were missing as to whether or not they could get them.

Gawain and Galahad, who didn't appear to have anything better to do, were both sitting on a bed, watching. Neither has a clue what was being said, judging by the looks on their faces.

Sighing, Lily leaves the shelves as Tam shoots another line of questions at Dagonet and fallss back on the bed next to Galahad.

"I don't know why you two are here when it makes no sense to me." She mutters, shifting back so that her head hangs over one side and her legs hang over the other.

"This place could be cleaner to." She scrunches up her nose as she inspects the dirt on the floor. This place was ten times cleaner then any other room she had been in, but it could still be better.

"Yes." Tam agrees, putting her conversation with Dag on hold. "When I'm done here, I'll clean up."

"Okie dokie." Lily smiles, sitting up straight. "Wanna get out of here then, guys?"

Galahad nods and grins, but Gawain simply shrugs.

"You two go ahead, we'll see you at lunch."

"Kay, see ya's later." Lily grabs Galahad's arm and pulls him up and out the door, shutting it behind them.

"What's the hurry?" Galahad asks, trying to ignore her grip on his forearm.

She turns her head and smiles at him. "Need get away from Tam a.s.a.p."

"A.s.a.p?"

"As soon as possible." She clarifies, giggling. "She's in work research mode, then it will be crazy cleaner lady mode. It is wise to avoid both. She'll get you to do something otherwise. And if you ever go in there again, make sure you don't have muddy boots."

"Ah, okay. What would you like to do now?" He matches her stride and the two fall into an even, leisurely pace.

"I don't know…where's Tristan? I haven't seen him today." She subconsciously looks around for the elusive scout and so misses Galahad's fallen face.

"Tristan could be anywhere, he doesn't socialise much." He replies rather dully.

"Oh."

He cringes at her disappointment. "We could…look for him…if you want."

She notices he doesn't sound terribly enthusiastic about it, but she doesn't want to go look for the scout anyway. It was easier to be around Dagonet now, after she had spoken to and spent more time with him. But he didn't have the familiar air about him that Tristan does, just something about him seemed natural to her. Dagonet put her at ease, made her feel safe like the others did, but in a slightly stronger way. Tristan, however, stirred something inside her, in a way that she couldn't explain.

"No." She replies quickly. "I don't want to look for him."

Galahad looks at her, clearly confused, but she just shrugs it off and smiles.

"Well, what would you like to do?" He repeats. He doesn't really mind, so long as he gets to spend more time with her.

She chuckles. "You already asked me that, what do you usually do when you're here?"

"Train, drink, sleep, prepare…" He traile=s off and looks down at her interested face. "Would you like to have a tour of the fort now? Or perhaps go for a ride?"

Lily perks up considerably at the mention of horses. "A ride sounds nice, so long as I'm not depriving you of your free time."

"There is nothing I would rather do, milady." Grinning, he offers her his arm, which she accepts and leads her to the stables.

oOo

Laughing, the two lead their horses from the stables, all saddled up and ready to go when a loud scream, followed by even louder curses stop their enjoyment.

"I think our ride will have to wait, Gal." Lily says, quickly handing her reins to the closest stable boy and takes off at a run in the direction of the noise.

Galahad curses the trouble and whoever has interrupted and takes off after her. The pair runs through the streets and up to the barracks where the noise is coming from and Galahad throughs open the door, placing himself between Lily and the disturbance within.

He stops short when he sees just what is inside and Lily ducks under his arm and stands in front of him.

"Get your great fat arse _off_ me you clumsy, stumbling, moron!" Ash hollers, shoving a dazed Lancelot harshly in the chest. The pair of them are in a tangle of limbs on the floor, and the knight was trying to move but Ash's struggles was making it difficult for him.

He grunts with the force of her hit. "I _would_ if you'd _stop moving_!"

"_Me_ stop moving? You're crushing my ribs!"

"Yes _you_, by the gods, this is _your_ fault!" He snaps, only to receive her elbow in his shoulder.

Some how Ash manages to knee him in the ribs and knock the wind out of him, then shoves him off and away from her just as the cavalry arrives behind the stunned pair in the entrance.

"What is going on?" Arthur demands as he moves past Lily and Galahad into the hall. Tristan, Dagonet, Gawain and Tam following him in, weapons at the ready.

"Your second in command moron-of-a-boy, just ran into me and tipped us both down the stairs!" Ash snaps, using the wall to help herself stand.

"_I_ ran into _you_?" Lancelot wheezes, taking deep breaths to return the oxygen to his lungs. "Forgive me, _Ashley_, but it was _you _who ran into _me_."

"Forgive you? Not blanking likely, and _bull_shit! You've had a stick gammed up your arse since last night!" She retorts icily. "Girls, we're leaving. This place is insane and I will not allow you to be around these fools."

Lily raises an eyebrow at her while the others stare and Lancelot gapes at her.

"I've had a…_excuse me_?" He yells in a shrill tone, to which the men snicker, even Tristan smirks.

Ash glares daggers at him. "You heard me, unless you're deaf as well as dumb. What the _hell_ is your problem?"

All eyes turn to Lancelot as he fumes and opens and shuts his mouth like a fish out of water.

"I think you should go and lay down, Ash." Lily says soothingly, interrupting before the knight could retort, or impale her. She walks to her friend and places a hand on her forehead.

"No, I want to hear what Sir Prance-a-lot has to say, if he can remember how to form sentences." The red head sneers, battering the hand away.

Lily doesn't look impressed, and gives both the panting, fuming, extremely pissed off pair disapproving looks. Their chests were heaving, they were sweating, their hair looked absolutely wild and their arms and legs were trembling.

The blonde isn't sure if this is because of their raging emotions or their scuffle, but either way she was going to put a stop to this madness now.

"You can do that later. Right now you're both going back to bed, you look like crap, this is beyond immature, and as adults you should know better. _And _you're making your already sad conditions worse. Now haul your sorry arses back to your rooms and lay down, before I kick them in there personally, and strap you to your beds." Hands plant themselves firmly on her hips as she glares at them. The chastised pair, and everyone else, looks at the softly spoken young woman in surprise.

"_Now_, or I'll make the others carry you." She threatens.

They huff, pout and storm, a little unsteadily and in that order, back up the stairs and into their respective rooms, each slamming their doors behind them.

Lily turns and rolls her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder." She mutters to herself. "Dagonet? Can I get two basins of cold water, two cloths and plenty of cool drinking water please? Oh, and morning, Tristan."

The scout nods to her cautiously as does Dagonet.

"You handled the situation well." Arthur praises as the giant left to fetch what she asked for, Tam following after him, shaking her head and muttering about gods only knew what.

"Yeah, well..." Her cheeks colour slightly at his praise, and from them having witnessed her outburst. "Ash only really listens to yelling when she's that angry. And Lancelot is pretty much the same, I'd say."

Gawain laughs, his eyes dancing in amusement. "Stubborn as a mule."

She grins at him. "So is she."

"Bets on when they get together." The blonde man's grin widens.

Lily returns his mischievous look with a gleam in her own eyes. "It wouldn't be a fair bet, she'll fight him to end until someone yells at her to stop, and argue with her about it for a while."

Arthur tilts his head enquiringly. "It will take yelling at her to get her to surrender to Lancelot?"

"If they don't kill each other first, then, yea."

**A/N: There ya go, nice and long. Hope you enjoyed it, though not a lot happened. :) **

**On a separate note, I know Ash's personality is annoying some of you. I'm sorry, but it's just how she is. I'll try and tune it down in places, but I won't change her completely. **

**Have a great day/night!**

**Please, please, PLEASE review! It doesn't take you long and I really appreciate it!**

**~Meg xx**


	8. Fairytales

**A/N: Thanks to **_**BooBoo33, M I Buvered, .snow0 **_**and **_**princesspomegranate **_**for their lovely reviews! Thank so much guys :) Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Chapter 8: Fairytales**

Two weeks have passed since the girls had stumbled upon the knights, and they had settled into life at the fort fairly well. Tam controlled the infirmary like an army admiral, ordering the knights back and forth to fetch things or people, giving people lectures on better heath and hygiene. Not that the place didn't need it.

Gawain was the only one who hadn't taken to completely avoiding her, even Arthur kept his distance less he be tasked with something again.

After a very long, very loud and very aggressive, three hour conversation and several threats on Tam's and Arthur's lives, Lily had managed to get Ash to agree to help Vanora in the tavern. She and Lancelot were at each others throats at every chance they got, the pair hadn't realised yet that they were attracted to each other, their opinions still of hatred and 'kill on sight'. But after several severe talking's from Lily and Arthur, they had settled, somewhat.

Lily had Arthur's study under complete control and all in all she only had to work for a couple of hours to keep it all organised and manageable. She got a lot of help from Jols, since he was Arthur's squire, and between the two of them things were perfectly smooth. Lil had had a few nightmares since their arrival but her cries were usually only loud enough to wake the people closest to her. They being Ash and Tristan, who were roomed either side of her.

She didn't say anything about the first night, when someone had followed her back to her room. She didn't say that she felt that presence every time she walked alone. She didn't speak to them again or give any sign that she knew they were there. And they continued to do it.

"…And the prince kissed his beautiful bride and they lived happily ever after." Tam finishes her story with a smile as she observes Bors and Van's children that sit on the floor in front of her.

It is a surprisingly bright, sunny day, with no chill factor winds and not a cloud in sight.

The reasonably early morning found the group sitting around their table in the empty tavern, eating omelettes that Tammy had prepared. They were only missing Lily, but she had been woken up several times the previous night, and is catching up on sleep.

Tam is keeping the children entertained, away from the men, while their mother and Ash get ready for tonight's work.

"Don't feed them all the fairytale, ever after bull, Tammy." Ash calls from the bar, clearly annoyed. "And don't even _think_ about that knight in shining armour shit, 'cause I can _see _seven real life knights, and it's not true."

"I take offence to that." Lancelot says in mock hurt. He's discovered annoying her is more fun then he originally thought.

"Good, it was an insult."

Galahad frowns. "Why?"

Ash scoffs as Vanora hides her smile and Tam sighs. "For starters, the knights in those stories all ride beautiful white steeds, you don't all _have_ white steeds, and that one of Tristan's nearly took my arm off yesterday. Next is shinning armour, you lot look like you've been dragged through a sewer backwards. And thirdly, you need a damsel in distress, an overly large castle and be in line to inherit a kingdom, none of which _you're_ going to do."

"That's a stupid thing to compare us to." Lancelot sniffs in his moody way.

"Oh and knights in shinning armour are, unbelievably handsome and dashingly charming." She adds with a smug smirk in Lancelot's direction.

He scowls at her, she grins at him. Tormenting each other like this has become their favourite game. So long as they weren't on the receiving end of the joke.

Tam sighs again as she looks back to the children, who now all look confused. "Why don't you all go outside and play?"

Leaping to their feet, they just about deafen everyone with their excited yells and screams, and nearly run over each other and Lily as they swamp down the stairs.

"Whoa, slow down, guys." She smiles as they laugh and sped around her. Jumping up the stairs that nearly got her trampled, she strolls across to the knights. Galahad had stood when she nearly lost her balance, ready to dash heroically to her rescue –Ash nearly snorts at the thought- and is now ginning at her as she approaches.

"There's my knights in shinning armour."

They all turn to smirk at Ash, who smacks her forehead as Lily wraps her arms around Galahad's waist, stands on tip toes and kisses his cheek before skipping over to the others.

"Morning, boys." She leans in between Dagonet and Bors and kisses either of their cheeks in her affectionate greeting of both bald men.

"Mornin' lass, ye alright now?" Bors asks in concern as Dagonet squeezes her hand before she walks away to Ash and Vanora.

"Yes, I'm fine, no need to worry about me." She replies, brushing one of her pale bangs behind her ear.

"With ye screamin' like ye do and there ain't nothin' to fight, its hard not to worry." He chides.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"You can't help it." Dagonet says quietly, always the peace maker.

_He and Tam would have been good_. Lily thinks as she smiles at him, going to greet her best friend. _If she and Gawain weren't head over heels_.

That was something else she could do.

"Mornin, Van." Lily says cheerily. "Ash, why do you look like a cats arse?"

The older woman laughs lightly and pats her shoulder as Ash glares at her.

"I just spent valuable time telling them they _weren't_ knights in shinning armour, and you waltz in and tell them they are! We've got to be consistent with them, Lily."

The blonde laughs and skips back to the table, sitting next to Galahad when he moves to make room for her. Tam is smiling at them both, typically shaking her head as she smoothes her skirts and sit next to Gawain.

"Their not children, Ash, or not _our_ children. Besides, do you see any other knights getting around?" She smirks, picking a piece of omelette off Galahad's plate and pops it into her mouth.

"Oh, so what." Ash mumbles. "Point is, Tams shouldn't be filling Bors' little monster's heads with all the 'once upon a time' crap."

"They _are_ kids, stories are good for them. Keeps these ones quiet for a while." Lily chuckles, pinching more of Galahad's egg.

"Can't you get your own?" He pouts in mock annoyance, watching as his breakfast disappears, though he makes no further move to stop her.

"I'll get Tam to make you some more, Precious." She gives him a sickly sweet smile and pats his arm.

"Or you could always get your own." Tam points out, smirking.

"That's not as amusing."

Ash chuckles, falling into the seat across from Lily and grins lazily. "Knew I'd taught you well."

"Oh, because I defiantly learnt food stealing from you."

"Enough you two." Arthur says with a shake of his head. They are so bemusing, but it got tiresome at times.

"I like these mornings." Lily muses as she takes more of Galahad's meal, making him smile.

"What mornings?" Gawain asks, forcing himself out of his conversation with Tam.

"The ones after you face your demons?" Ash frowns.

Lily rolls her eyes, but smiles instantly as Vanora sets a plate of the omelette in front of her before sitting in Bors' lap. "No, these ones, when we're all together. I like it."

"So do I." Vanora agrees, kissing Bors gently.

"When Arty hasn't got his nose stuck in some paper and Tristan isn't off…doing whatever the hell it is you do, scare the hell outta people probably." The scout gives her the smallest of smirks and she flashes him a grin and continues. "When Jols isn't running around doing everything else. And when Lance and Ash aren't in the middle of their own mini war, or Ash and Tam aren't arguing, or Ash isn't fighting anyone, for that matter."

They laugh and the red head has the decency to look a bit sheepish.

"And no ones got a hangover…it feels like home."

"Nuh ah. Better then your household, Lil, your mother scares me." Ash mutters, reaching over and taking some of Lancelot's breakfast, kicking him under the table when he starts to complain.

"Don't you _dare_ ruin my girl's happy, homey morning, Lassie." She snaps playfully, using her newfound favourite nickname for him. "Take it like Gal is, we'll make a man out of him yet."

"Ash, my mother scares everyone." Lily replied giving Galahad a share of her eggs as he shoots Ash a semi annoyed look. "That's just the way she is."

"Yeah, freaky lady."

"You don't speak of your home much." Arthur states, as he swallows his mouthful. "Or your families."

Ash casts a quick glance at Lily, but the blonde doesn't seem affected.

"There's not much to talk about." Ash replies evenly. She didn't have a good track record with her family. That, in Tam's opinion, played a large part in her attitude and persona problems.

"Sure there is, girl." Bors says in his louder-then-needed voice. "Even we've got something to talk about on the subject."

"Be my guest."

"Nah, we're askin 'bout yours."

"Sneaky fricking knights." She mumbles and Lily kicks her under the table.

"It isn't really interesting." Tam mends, drawing their curious faces to her. "I have an older sister and a younger brother, my parents own a store, we live in a place called Sydney. Ash is one of five children, but she moved out of home when she was fifteen. And Lily had a brother, as you know. That's about it."

"That's…it?" Lancelot asks. "Why did you leave home? Are you married?"

"What?" Ash shrieks, the very idea of the 'm' word churns her stomach. "Definitely _not_, the day I get married will be the day the sky falls. No, I had an argument with my parents and moved in with Lily."

"One day, you'll eat your words, madam." Tam smirks. "Even you will fall in love with some unlucky guy."

She snorts. "Me? Love _one_ guy? _Me_?...Are we talking about the same me, here?"

The whole table roll their eyes, except Lancelot, who nods in agreement and so gets a kick in the shin.

"What?" He asks Lily, innocently.

"Don't '_what_' me."

"Ah, Lancelot, now there are two who can keep you inline and keep up with you." Gawain teases.

"I can run circles round him any day." Ash declares easily, leaning back in her chair. She is being playful, but the dark knight picks up on the challenge and swoops on it like Tristan's hawk swoops on a mouse.

"I accept your challenge." He replies smartly.

She raises her eyebrow. "Um, it's a figure for speech, Einstein. But if you want me to prove it…stand up."

Cautiously, he does as she says and backs away from the table when she does the same.

The others stop their separate conversations and watch the two, ready to jump in and save either one at a moments notice. Lily looks at ease, however, as she moves around to get a better view.

Once she has backed him to a more spacious area, Ash smirks at him and moves forwards. Lancelot immediately goes into a fighting stance and stares in confusion as she ran around him twice, and then back to her seat. Grinning like a manic.

"Smartass." Lily laughs as her friend falls into her chair.

"Well, he wanted me to show him. I ran circles around him."

"I don't understand." Lance mutters and they laugh harder.

"Oh I'm sorry, is it to complicated for you?" Ash replies sweetly, smirk playing on her lips.

He glares at her.

"Well, breakfast was lovely, thanks, Tam. Don't kill each other while I'm gone, or anyone else, Tristan. See ya's later." Lily smiles, getting up and leaving the tavern. She picks up Six, who ran at her, twirls the young girl around and sets her back on the ground before promising to teach them a game later and disappears around the corner.

"Where's she's off to?" Bors asks, watching his brood resume their game of tag.

"Study." Tam replies as she begins clearing the table.

"Doesn't she ever have a day off?" Galahad mutters.

The baby begins to cry and Vanora gets up to get him. "She's a busy girl, keepin' this place organised, and she's doin' a good job of it to."

"She's perfect." Arthur adds proudly. He was quite pleased with the whole agreement. "If she can control Lancelot and Ash, the forts affairs must be easy for her. She and Jols have made a truly remarkable team."

The squire grins.

"Eh, it's like school work, don't know how she puts up with it. Strange girl, also don't know how she's so fond of you lot." Ash shrugs, earning herself glares.

"Probably the same way she's so fond of you." Tam adds.

The red head resumes her private mutterings.

"What are you lot up to today, anyway?" Tammy asks, taking the last of the plates.

"Not hanging around us women like a bunch of vultures like yesterday." Vanora is quick snap, rocking her son. "Three! Put Ten down right now!"

"I don't know." Arthur says thoughtfully. "Since Lily started helping it has freed up much of my time."

"Why don't you all go play with sharp objects?" Ash suggests bitterly. "Or play tag with hammers?"

"Not everyone's a suicidal manic, Ash."

"They want something to do, and since you and Lil have banned me from killing them in their sleep, the next option is to get them to do it."

"I still do not understand why you despise us so." Dagonet ponders, blinking his large understanding eyes at her.

"You're getting there, some of you. But you have this fatal flaw, you see…your male. It's in my nature, sorry." She smiles, a bit evilly. "Don't worry, most of you have removed yourselves from my hit list."

The hit list. They have heard all about Ash and her famous hit list, if you were on it, then you were best advised to sleep with both eyes open and an array of weapons within easy reach.

"Wonderful." Gawain murmurs. He had been receiving more of her glares then most of the others, bar Lancelot. He didn't know what he'd done to deserve it.

"Shush, Hairy." The sadistic minded girl chimes. "Run along, boys, go on get lost." She makes shooing gestures towards the exit and kicks the base of Lancelot's chair to get them moving. "Go on, or you'll be makin' your own lunches. Scram, go…kill woads or something."

"But Lily said..." Galahad starts, but she glares at him to and he winces again when Vanora joins her in attempting to get rid of them.

"_Out_!"

**A/N: O-kay, there we have it. Not sure how I feel about it, it doesn't feel quite right…What do you think? Not much happens, I know. Just more trivial banter between them all. Kinda showing how they've adjusted I guess…I don't know, it's to late to contemplate haha. It's 2am where I am, so I bid you all good night :)  
**

**Pretty please with sugar on top R.E.V.I.E.W! :) Love yas!**

**~Meg xx**


	9. Receiving Orders

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry it took me so long. But here is chapter nine! With special thanks to princesspomegranate for BETA-ing for me ^.^ 3 **

**Thank you sooo much to **_**.snow0, M I Buvered, princesspomegranate**_** and **_**xxmadmooxx1995xx**_** for their wonderful reviews!**

**Hope you enjoy this one!**

**Chapter 9: Receiving Orders**

Lily sighs and lets the paper fall to the desk. Orders. The men have received orders, and they are to leave in the morning. _Leave_. To _fight_ the blue dudes, as Ash commonly refers to them as.

Pushing the chair back and wandering over to the window, she perches herself on the sill and watches the world below. The world so different from home. _Home_. She's done her best not to think about it too much, it just confuses her. In all honesty, she feels more at 'home' here, or rather with these people, than she ever had with her own mother since Dean died. She clasps the dog tags around her neck and fingers their engravings.

Ash seems happy enough, she complains about the lack of the things she had grown up with; running water, toilets, suitable men, as she called them…that kind of thing. Tam also appears happy, but Lily knows the brunette misses her family and her schooling. She's just too kind to say so.

Lily sighs again, irritated this time. These damn Romans had better not get her new home killed. There will be hell to pay if there is even so much as a scratch…

_Stop it_. She curses herself, realising what she has done. _You've only known these men for two weeks, soldiers, like your brother, like your** dead** brother_.

Only in these times the medical line of things wasn't as good, the fastest form of transport was horses and they were off to fight in the middle of no-where. Caring for the Knights, getting attached to them like she foolishly had already, was just not a good idea.

She briefly wonders how Vanora has survived this long without dying of worry.

Tossing back an absolutely murderous glare at the parchment on the table, she leaves the room to get Arthur. The Knights would probably be executed if they ignored the order.

They weren't at the tavern and they weren't in the stables, so the next place to look for them was the training arena.

As she gets closer to the secluded area she can hear the tell-tale clang of metal against metal, and the thud of arrows, the occasional exchange of words and a bit of laughter.

Taking a deep breath, Lily rounds the corner and watches them for a moment, as if to etch them into her mind. Bors and Tristan are shooting arrows at the target while the others spar with each other. Gawain is missing, but she'd bet her left leg that she knew where he was.

"Arthur." She calls after watching for some time with them yet to notice her. The fighting stops and they look up in surprise, their bodies sweaty and heaving.

"Lily." Galahad lowers his sword, a smile brightening his handsome features, but it soon fades. "What's wrong?"

She frowns. "I don't look _that_ distressed…do I?"

"You do appear a little troubled." Dagonet offers, and lowers his gigantic axe from where it looks like he is about to lop Lancelot's head off.

"Oh…Arthur, there are orders for you on your desk. I came to fetch you." She replies, twisting her fingers into the too-large, borrowed tunic.

"Ah, thank you. Knight's, if you'll excuse me." He sheaths Excalibur and leaves, squeezing Lily's shoulder reassuringly as he passes her.

"They had to come some time." Dagonet reasons, wiping his forehead with a cloth. "We have been here for two weeks."

The girl shrugs. "I suppose. Doesn't mean I have to like it, or that I want you to go." She sighs. "I'll leave you all to prepare…you have to leave first thing in the morning."

With that said, Lily spins on her heel and departs, and doesn't looking back, afraid that they would see the raw fear in her eyes if she did. Yet she can feel their surprised eyes follow her every step until she disappears.

"Someone get Gawain." Lancelot speaks, finally.

"I shall." The gentle knight offers. "I'll prepare a healing kit with Tam while I'm there and meet you at the table. Arthur will wish to speak with us."

The others nod and disperse.

From then on, the day passes much quicker than it should have in the women's opinions. Watching their friends, and in Vanora's case, lover, pack up and get ready for their mission was difficult. Lily had disappeared completely, she hadn't gone back to 'work', her room was empty, and she wasn't in the following places, tavern, infirmary, stables, training area, weaponry, anywhere in the quarters, or anywhere in the in the great big turn out that the round table room was in.

Ash knew this because she had checked all these places; _twice_. It was now well past dark and Lancelot had nearly had kittens when she'd burst into his room, without knocking, to check for her very allusive friend.

Therefore, the situation means that someone is going to get it. And so, as the knights, Jols and the girls, including Vanora and all the children, are sitting in the big dining room, Ash is glaring at the lot of them, tapping a knife against the table.

"We don't know where she _is_." Galahad stresses again.

Her scrutinising gaze swings to him and she narrows her eyes until they are mere, deadly looking slits. "No shit, Sherlock, if one of you knew you'd have either told me or gone to get her by now."

"Then perhaps you can stop glaring at us then?" Arthur suggests, as he finds it rather unnerving. "I'm sure she's fine."

"She's still here, Bells is still in her stall." Tam reminds her. "When Lily doesn't want to be found, she won't be found. You _know_ this, for heaven's sake, leave the men alone already."

"I'm bored and stressed and worried. Making them nervous is making me feel better." The red head pouts at her friend. "'Sides, she wouldn't have gone A.W.O.L. if it weren't for this lot. _Why_ she loves you damn people so much…I can't understand."

Galahad perks, sitting straighter in his chair. "She loves us?" At the same time Dagonet frowns. "A.W.O.L.?"

Ash sighs. "Right, since I can't reach him…someone hit that idiot pup for me."

Gawain complies, shaking his head at his best friend and his great lack of tact.

"…Thank you, and A.W.O.L means 'absent without leave', like missing in action. They're war terms where we come from. And it's all _your_ fault for upsetting her." Ash finishes with a huff and slumps in her chair, commencing her sulking.

"Actually, it's Rome's fault." Tam corrects her, patting Gawain's hand reassuringly. "Not theirs."

"_Fine_," Ash mumbles moodily. "I'll kill _Rome_ if something happens to her, happy?"

"And how, dearest sister, do you expect to kill an empire?" A voice from behind them asks, amused.

Ash flies out of her chair, hits her thighs on the table - which shakes and tips over several wine cups - spins around and trips on the chair, swears loudly and then kicks said chair halfway across the room, before she finally pounces on Lily. Who is trying desperately hard not to laugh.

Ash flings her arms around the thinner frame of her best friend and hugs her.

"Ash, Ash, I can't breathe." She gasps.

The grip loosens immediately and Lily finds herself held at arms' length, two firm hands on her shoulders.

"Where in the name of all things good _were you_?" Ash shakes her somewhat violently. "You scared the hell outta me! Nearly died I did! And my nerves, I'm almost grey! Not to mention I almost killed off the most famous bunch of knights in history!"

"I'm sorry I'm sorry! I just needed some air."

"There's air here, see?" The red then proceeds to breathe in and out deeply, several times to demonstrate that there is, indeed, air.

"Yes, but air on my own." Lily giggles. "Now what's for tea, I'm starving."

"Don't go thinking you're forgiven." Ash snaps. "When I'm through with you, Tam will take a stab, then whatever order the boys want to go in, young lady."

Lily sighs as she seats herself next to Dagonet who gives her a smile. "I'm fine, Ash, I can take care of myself. Just 'cause I don't mind being comforted doesn't make me helpless, and I'm not that much younger you."

"_SO_?" Her friend shrieks, and then looks around for her chair. Finding it, she retrieves it and sits down. "That doesn't mean you can just go wandering off across the countryside whenever you feel like it. We're not at home anymore, there are psycho blue people that fall from the freaking trees in these woods, and I bet that's where you bloody went to."

"Actually, I walked _along_ the woods, on this side of the wall, I didn't go in them." Lil replies meekly, accepting the plate of food that Dagonet has dished out for her. "Thanks, Dag."

"Like that's much better, that's like…the difference between cavemen and medieval men. NONE!"

"Girls…shut up and eat. The guys are going straight to bed after this." Tammy commands.

"Yeah, don't miss your bed time." Ash chimes, her spat with Lily already forgotten.

They scowl at her and go back to eating, semi-thankful that everything was back to normal.

If these females could ever possibly be considered as normal.

oOo

"Be careful." Lily whispers as Dagonet crushes her in a giant bear hug. Some of them are already mounted, their steeds packed, saddled and ready to go.

Bors' eldest children stand around their parents, saying their last goodbyes.

"Of course." He smiles down at her. He was a good two-to-three heads and possibly some shoulders taller than herself…okay, maybe not that much taller...

"You'd better all come home." She says again, squeezing his hand, but says it loud enough for the others to hear. "If you don't I'll have to figure out how to raise the dead and kill you myself."

They grin at her. Gawain whispers low words to Tam before he hugs her and the others exchange knowing smirks. Ash was handling Dagonet's axe, the thing was nearly bigger than she was as she eyed it with interest and then smirks evilly in Lancelot's direction.

"Don't get yourself killed, you great brute." She grins at Dagonet as she hands over his weapon, hugging him around the middle briefly.

Lily proceeds to hug and kiss each one until she only has Galahad and Tristan to go. The curly haired knight wraps and arm around her waist and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear. She smiles softly and kisses his cheek as she hugs him around his waist.

"Arthur, you're in charge of everyone's safety." Lily says seriously, still in Galahad's hold, but she releases hers and takes to holding his hand instead.

The commander smirks. "Lancelot, you're in charge of our safety."

Ash snorts. "Your all dead then."

Lancelot spares a moment to glare at her before picking up on Arthur's game. "Dagonet, you're in charge of our safety."

"Bors, you're in charge of our safety."

"Horse shit, Galahad, boy, you're in charge of our safety."

They laugh as Galahad scowls at him. "Gawain, you're in charge of our safety."

"Tristan; you're job."

The scout shrugs uncaringly as the burden falls upon him, but Lily smiles as she moves out of Galahad's arm and goes to the silent man.

"Then you're in the best of hands." She stands up on tip toes and places a light kiss on either of his cheeks, over his tattoos, while swallowing the nervous feeling in her stomach.

He stares at her in well-masked shock, as did everyone else, but she just blinks and smiles at him again, before backing away and joining Jols and the girls.

She isn't scared of him, he knows, but she is always nervous around him, and had never interacted with him the way she did with the other knights. He'd never received her feather light kisses and hugs, or the playful hits and slaps around the head that she gave to the others in her affectionate way. This was the first time, and he found that not only did he like it, but he wasn't ready for it.

His face is a mask, as always, as his brothers-in-arms look between himself and Lily. Galahad looks positively jealous and resorts to sulking whilst the others are shocked.

Tristan rolls his eyes at them and mounts. He isn't attracted to her, or not in the way Gawain is attracted to Tam, but he did find himself drawn to her. She seemed so innocent to him, not perhaps in a childish way like Bors' youngsters- not that anyone in their right minds would call those little monsters 'innocent'. No, Lily was innocent in a way that he couldn't explain; and it intrigued him. Maybe it is her lack of fear of him, but yet she remains nervous and cautious, though she cares about him.

Whatever it was, it had him wanting to protect her…and gut Galahad for looking at her the way he did, and the other men he had caught looking at her with lustful eyes.

True, the pup wasn't as bad as them, but he was still wandering around on thin ice.

"Knights." Arthur calls, signalling it was time to go.

Bors pries his children from him and hands the teary eyed little demons back to their mother. He kisses Vanora once more, then Lily's forehead and brushes his thumb across her cheek. He ruffles Ash's hair on the way past, then, with surprising speed and agility for someone his size, leaps to the safety of his horse and uses his laughing brothers as a shield.

They quickly ride out of the court yard, trying to stay in their saddles as Ash, who now looks as if a crow has built a nest on her head, is screaming all manner of threats and profanities at their retreating backs. She is quickly tackled to the ground by Lily, as Jols pries the pitchfork she was sure to shove up Bors' arse from her grasp.

**A/N: And tad arr! Lol. Not as long as I originally thought it'd be, but it is done and posted none-the-less :) Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Pretty please review and let me know what you thought!**

**~Meg xx**


	10. Death in Dreams

**A/N: Sorry about the wait! Hope you like this one! **

**Thanks to _0white. as .snow0_ for the review! Let me know what you think of this one, guys!**

**. : Chapter 10: Death in Dreams : .**

"They'll be back soon lass; stop ye fretting. They're due home tonight." Vanora tries to coax the youngest from her glazy-eyed stupor.

Lily is cradling little Ten, while Seven is sleeping soundly, leaning up against her legs. Tammy cradles the half-conscious baby and paces back and forth along the tavern floor. Ash is busying herself with cleaning, whilst trying to ignore Nine, as the little girl follows her around. The rest of Vanora's brood are running around with a dog out front where they can be easily watched.

"It's been ten days!" Tam stresses, rocking Eleven as he waves his arms wildly.

"Calm yourself, Tammy; that was what Arthur said." Vanora says, exasperated. "'Tis not the longest they've been away… Oh heavens, Ash, _do_ something." The older woman exclaims, at a loss.

"Not much I _can_ do. But these bastards had better haul their sorry arses back here soon, so I can _kick_ them up around their ears. Not only is Lily still getting her regular nightmares, but _now_ she's got new ones about the fools getting killed…and she _remembers_ these!" Ash fumes quietly, so as not to distress Tam and Lily further.

Vanora shoots her an annoyed glance as she scoops up Nine. "I _know_. I'm here too."

"How did they get so _damn attached_ to them?" Ash hisses, slamming a mug down on the bar.

The long-suffering red head sighs as her daughter demands to be put down. "They're caring people, Ash; it's just the way they are."

Ash blows her darker red hair away from her eyes in annoyance. "I know _why_. Give me some credit, Van. I'm not _that_ stupid. Tam is obviously crackers for Gawain, and Lily sees her brother in them all somehow. She sees the family she wants so badly, but they could _die_ every time they leave the damn fort. I don't understand why they do it to themselves."

"And you do not care what happens to them?" Vanora questions.

"Of course I care. Believe it or not I like them too…_most of them_ anyway…most of the time. And I'm worried, honest I am, but…I don't like what their absence is doing to my girls." Ash says exasperatedly.

Van smiles and touches Ash's shoulder reassuringly. The girl isn't nearly as cold-hearted as she makes herself out to be. _Why_ she did it, Vanora wasn't quite sure, but Lily had mentioned something about her having a rough family life. The topic had only been touched on once one night after Ash had had a nasty run in with one of the tavern's patrons and thrown him out. So she understands the girl's wariness of being joined in a family again, apart from her friends.

Vanora sighs once more, looking to her children. They were a family before the girls had arrived, albeit a dysfunctional one, but still a family. She loves Bors with everything in her, and the knights were his brothers, not just in arms. Even if the same blood does not flow in their veins, it had mixed together often enough for them to be brothers.

The barkeep pauses and a soft smile lights her features as she thinks of the Knights. While more often then not, they are the cause of most of her headaches, she couldn't deny that she loves the insufferable fools like brothers. Despite all the hardships they've seen, they are all kind souls. If you look at Tristan _really _hard, you can see it even in him.

And now, she has sisters it seems. The girls merely made their family bigger, happier, and more complete.

She shakes her head and chuckles softly. How things have changed in the short time the girls have been here. Things are certainly livelier. The elder woman smirks at she thinks of a certain long-haired Knight and a certain brunette woman. It wouldn't be long before there would be another '_Knight's Woman_' at the fort.

'_And Galahad…dear gods that boy was painfully obvious.' _She thinks, amused. '_Tis a wonder how Lily has not seen it yet…'_ Vanora had to agree with Ash on one point though, Lancelot was just a menace. Their relationship would be most amusing to watch, for sure.

"TWO! Get your brother down from there right now!" Vanora yells, coming out of her thoughts.

"They're like animals!" Ash mumbles. "Where do they get it from?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Tam laughs for the first time since Lily's nightmares of the men's brutal deaths began about five days ago.

"Bors, that rotten bastard." Ash grimaces. "They probably pick half of it up by spending time around the rest of them. That's something else I can yell at them for."

Lily smiles tiredly at her and shakes her head. "Yeah well, at least let us say hello to them before you start…and no massacre either."

Ash pouts unhappily. "You take out all the fun."

"I know, suck it up."

"Glad you're feeling better." Ash says dryly.

Lily grins weakly at her, the dark bags under her eyes clearly noticeable. "Why thank you; now if you wake up these children I _will_ give them both to you."

Ash's crimson eyes nearly pop out of her head. "You _wouldn't._"

"Wouldn't I?"

"Shit, you would too, you horrible person. Fine, fine I'm not saying anything..."

"You should go and rest." Vanora says gently as Lily yawns.

"I'm fine." She mumbles, but the relaxing feel of the sun on her skin is almost too much for her eyelids.

"And I'm a monkey's uncle." Ash retorts sarcastically. "Get your arse to bed, woman! I will personally come and get you if idiot incorporated turn up."

"But…what about my dreams?" She protests, but the other women are already taking the children from her.

"It's day time. You never get them when it's light." Ash reasons, hauling her to her feet.

"I've also never remembered them before. I'm scared to close my eyes." she whispers the last part so softly that Ash has to lean in to hear her.

"You're not on your own, Lil, and you never will be. In three weeks you've attained more guardians then any _normal_ person would have in three lifetimes."

"Mm, seven aren't here though." Her voice starts to fade as Vanora waves a passing Jols over.

"What? Four not enough for ya? My goodness girl, you're spoilt rotten, you are." She laughs before handing Lil over to Jols.

"Hmm hi, Jols." Lil mutters as the man scoops her up and she curls into his chest.

He chuckles. "Hi Lil, off to bed with you now."

"M'kay. You win."

He grins at the others who return his amused look before he carries her away.

Lily passes out on the way to her room, and Jols gently tucks her into bed and leaves, shutting the door behind him.

Sighing, he says a silent prayer to the gods that the knights hurry up and return. He isn't sure how much more they can take of Lily's distress, or Ash's fury at Lily's distress. He'd almost lost a stable hand the other day, and Vanora is getting increasingly upset at her roughing up her customers. They had brought it upon themselves though when the poor drunken souls reached for the fiery young redhead.

She's a real piece of work. Lancelot has his hands full with that one.

Shaking his head, Jols goes back to the stables, praying to anyone and everyone that the knights return safely that night.

oOo

As luck would have it, just past midnight, the men ride through the main wall gates. Home. Safe.

"It's about damn time." Ash grunts, setting her serving plate down and yelling to Vanora that they were back before leaving and heading to get Lily, who's slept peacefully.

When she opens the door to Lily's room, however, she is startled to find her friend already awake.

"They're back. Why are you awake?"

The blonde shrugs to the question, uncurling herself from her perch on the window. The light, white dress she wore has spaghetti straps and went right to the floor. "I was waiting."

"Aren't you going to change out of…whatever that is?" Ash asks as she slides past her.

"Nope. It's just a…something, one of the maids brought me after I had a bath and I don't have time to change!" Lil yells as she runs down the hall, down the stairs and out of the barracks.

Sighing to herself, Ash runs after her, managing to catch up to her, and together they bolt for the court yard.

Poor Dagonet just about has holes burned into his back and the wind knocked out of him as the three smaller bodies slam one after the other into his. He has no trouble wrapping his large arms around all of them though.

Lily reaches him first and flings her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder. Then the other two slide in under either arm. Ash peers around his massive form to look at the others. They're all bloody, dirty and tired looking. Not to mention glaring at Dagonet.

She laughs. "Jealous lot aren't you? Don't worry you'll all get a hug, ya babies. Anyone hurt?"

They shake their heads, now smiling. Tam lets go of Dag and flings herself into Gawain's arms.

Ash and Lily also let go and allow the rest their hugs. Ash even embraces Lancelot quickly, then pulls back and slaps him sharply across the face.

"You assholes!" She yells, stamping a foot angrily. "What the hell took you so long? They've been worried to _death_ about you lot! And I am _so_ not done yet either!"

Galahad grins down at Lily who is shaking her head, shadows playing across her pale features in the dim torchlight. "Just when I was about to say if only every time we came home was like this. I'd go away purely to come back."

Lily chuckles and has to pull out of his hold as she moves to Tristan. "Leave them alone, Ash, can't you see they're tired?" She reaches up and touches the blood splatter on his cheek. "That had better be someone else's, Tristan." she whispers, smiling. He shakes his head yes, allowing himself a small smile. It's gone as fast as it came. "Good, I knew I'd left you all in the most capable hands. There are baths ready for you in your rooms, go and take one."

"Yes, go and take a _long_ one." Tammy adds, scrunching up her nose and backing away from Gawain. "You obviously need it. Then there will be food in the hall and your beds will be ready, which is where you all _will_ be going. To your own beds. Straight. After." She clarifies, crossing her arms when Lancelot looks like he might argue.

"And if you have _any_ wounds, not matter how trivial _you_ think that they are, tell me or Tam and we'll fix it before you go to sleep, okay?" Lily throws in, already ushering them towards their rooms.

They nod and Vanora kicks Bors in the same direction. Lancelot loops an arm around Lily's waist and pulls her to him.

"Well, I have to get back to work, so I shall leave you in Lil and Tam's capable hands and I will resume my yelling at you in the morning. Sleep well. Lunatics." Ash mumbles the last part but they hear her as she swaggers off back to the tavern with Vanora.

"Come on, you look like hell." Tam laughs and leads the way.

Lily detaches herself from Lancelot and pushes him towards his door. "We'll know if you don't, and if you try to skip out on your bath you'll get a cold one in the pond, and there's fish in there."

Bors grunts. "I don't like baths."

The girls exchange a look. "Then Van won't like you much, will she? She was saying just this morning that she liked you better when you were clean."

He blinks twice before marching to his door with a look fit for one going into battle.

"It's just a bath." Lily mutters as Tam takes her away, the pair going to the dining hall to wait. "What sooks."

oOo

Fifteen minutes after they've entered the gigantic room, the doors swing open and Ash stands there, panting and looking absolutely terrified. She is holding Ten and Eleven in awkward positions under her arms.

"Here, take them!" she nearly throws the baby and toddler at her surprised friends. "They woke up and One brought them to Van, who said to bring them to you; we're busy. Have fun, it was nice knowing you both, bye." And she disappears as quickly as she came, slamming the door after her.

Lily looks down at Eleven and smiles at the baby boy, while Tam rolls her eyes and bounces his teary-eyed brother.

"Shh, little one." the brunette coos. "Come, Ten. It's alright, don't cry."

Lil holds the baby close to her body and begins humming as she rocks him gently. Tam glances at her as she recognises the tune, '_Can't take me'_ by Bryan Adams. Strange thing to be humming to a baby about to ball his little eyes out, but the younger woman's humming had a melodic sound to it.

_She could probably hum screaming rock and roll and make it sound like a lullaby,_ Tam thought with a smile. Lily and Ash could sing but she couldn't. Not that it worried her, but when it came to the ability to lull manic mini people it was a skill that she envied.

Ash has yet to see if she can do it, since she avoids them like the plague.

Lil has wanders over to a window, still humming and cradling the baby when the doors open once more and the men came in.

They stop their ruckus noise-making when Tam glares at them and Lily's humming reaches their ears, she stops when she notices them however, and smiles.

"Nice bath?" she comes over and looks them up and down, before nodding her approval. "That'll do."

"_That'll do_?" Gawain repeats. "I never knew soap would hurt so much!"

Tam shakes her head at him. "Don't be such a wimp. It hurt because you don't use it often enough, probably."

"Actually it got into a cut."

"There you go then."

Ten reaches his arms out to his father and looks at him expectantly. Tam happily hands him over.

"Where are the others?" Bors asks, looking around for the rest. He must have noticed how quiet it was.

"Asleep. These two woke up."

"Da." The one and a half year old squeals happily, latching hold of his father's nose and grins.

"He'll also be a great fighter." Bors exclaims proudly, sounding like a choked up duck. "With a grip like that, he'll break bones."

"That's 'cause he's mine." Lancelot grins and yelps when Tam slaps the back of his head with little mercy.

The knights' smile as Tammy plants both hands on her hips and glares at them. "Sit. Eat. Sir Lancelot, one more word from your mouth on that subject and the next thing I hit you with will be Cook's largest frying pan. And Bors, you shouldn't encourage your sons to fight, it's not good for them."

"'Course it is, woman." The burly man replies, pulling his nose out of his son's grip and sitting down in the closest chair, perching the toddler on his knee.

"Do _not_ argue with me, Bors." Tam narrows her eyes. "Gilly has gotten himself into four fights while you were away; started three of them! And I had to yank Lily out of her work to stitch up a cut on his arm! Vanora was not pleased."

He looks proud to start with, but that dissolves to worry, and then to fear as Tam finishes.

"Is he alright?"

"Yes, it was only a small cut. Just deep enough for me to stitch it. One of the boys he was fighting pushed him back and he landed on a broken plank. He'll be fine." Lily replies soothingly. "Ash dealt with the other boy so there is no need to track him down."

Bors pokes at his food; muttering Gods only know what and allows Ten to pull bits off his plate.

The baby is almost asleep. His little eyes droop lower every minute. Lily smiles gently at him and tenderly stokes his cheek, stifling a yawn.

Tam narrows in on her like a hawk. "Did you sleep today?"

"Yes."

"For how long?" Tam pushes suspiciously, noticing the guilty look in the blonde's eyes.

"A little while." Lil replies sheepishly.

"Why does she need to sleep during the day?" Dagonet asks, also zoning in on their conversation like a hawk on a field mouse. Lily groans. This would alert them all to her nightmares and deprivation of sleep. Not only will she be sent straight to bed, but also look even more helpless in their eyes.

_Fantastic_, she thought sourly.

"Because she doesn't sleep at night." Tam says shortly, obviously not giving a damn about her friend's silent protests.

Dagonet looks at her questioningly and raises an eyebrow, waiting for her to tell him.

She mumbles unhappily and glares at Tammy who just shrugs. When she refuses to answer, instead returning her attention to the baby and walking back to the window, Tam sighs and answers for her.

"Nightmares. She's been having nightmares of your impending doom the last few nights. Her logic is that if she doesn't sleep, she won't see you killed."

"We're back now, everything is fine." Arthur says to her, his voice caring and sympathetic.

Lily turns and glares at Tammy again, before handing her friend Eleven, who is immediately upset with his change of arms, and leaves the room.

"Anyone injured?"

"No, we are all fine." Arthur sighs tiredly, watching the door where Lily had disappeared, he worries about her. He scrubbed a hand over his face. He worries about everything.

"Good, I'll see you in the morning then. Bors, I'll take the children back to Van's house." They notice then that she, to, looks worn out and Gawain resists the urge to pull her to him and hold her. He, and nearly all the others, make a mental note to enquire exactly what had transpired since their departure to leave the women in their current states.

Taking Ten from his father's lap, Tammy smiles, and bids them all a good night's rest before gliding out of the room. She pauses at the door and looks back. "Oh and just a heads up, Ash has made herself a very long list of things to yell at you all about as soon as you wake." And she left.

They groan.

"Do you need any errands run, Arthur? Patrols, _anything_?" Lancelot pleads. Anything to get away from the moody redhead and the certain death that awaited them come sunrise.

Arthur shakes his head glumly. "No…perhaps we could take a trip south of the wall to check for Woads?" He suggests.

"What about north of the wall?" Lancelot adds hopefully. "If we get lucky we'll get killed."

Dagonet frowns at his panicky brothers. "We will not be going anywhere, Ash isn't that bad."

"Easy for you to say." Gawain puts in dryly. "She likes you."

"That woman is surely some sort of demon." Galahad shivers.

"Even your Satan would be afraid of her." Lancelot says bitterly.

Bors laughs. "Never thought I'd see the day _you'd_ be afraid of a woman, and such a stunning young one at that."

"Shut up."

"Arthur, I suggest we do not push them unnecessarily." Dagonet says firmly. "I worry for Lily, and Tam also did not take well to our absence. Something is wrong here."

Tristan surprises them all when he nods in agreement. The gentle knight smiles at him gratefully.

"I agree." Arthur says, slowly. "But…what will we do about Ash?"

"She's a danger to our health." Galahad pronounces. "She's threatened to kill us in our sleep! Perhaps Lily and Tam can come with us?"

"Even better, we send _her_ north of the wall!" Lancelot suggests brightly. He's given very dirty looks from the others.

"She won't hurt us." Dagonet argues. "She likes us… _most_ of us, but she wouldn't ever upset her friends. She will not harm us physically unless we give her good reason to. Why you are so afraid of her, I will never know."

"Oh, so Satan's better is only going to emotionally wound us, how wonderful." Lancelot retorts sarcastically. "That's much better. Where have you been? Have you not met Ash? She'd probably have all the Woads running back to their tree houses."

"Just grow a set, take her words then she'll feel better and it'll all be over." Bors grumbles. "It's too late for this, I'm off."

"As am I. I'm going to find Lily." Dagonet adds, then follows his best friend out the door, leaving the others to debate what tomorrow will bring for their life expectancy.

Dagonet tries Lil's room first, but it is empty. Bors had offered to help but Dagonet had declined, suspecting that Lily would talk better in a one on one situation. He now finds himself outside the almost empty stables, the light of only one torch illuminating the place.

Lily stands in Bell's stall, her head resting against the mare's neck as one hand strokes her chest and the other rests on her shoulder. She is unaware of his presence until he leans against the stable door and speaks.

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"

She whips around to face him, but relaxes immediately and shrugs. "Couldn't."

"Liar. You didn't even go to your room."

She smiles sheepishly and picks up a brush to begin on Bells' already spotless coat. "Why'd you have to be so knowing, Dag?"

He smiles and lets himself in. "It comes from being around the others and detecting Lancelot's attempts at avoiding duties. Tristan is much better at it then I."

She chuckles slightly but she keeps her eyes glued to her horses' back.

"What is bothering you?" He asks softly, gently lifting her chin and making her look at him.

"I feel stupid, helpless…breakable." She confesses in her softest voice.

"Why?"

"Because of what happens!" She retorts angrily. "It doesn't happen to Ash or Tam! Only me, and I'm the youngest. I'm always shadowed by _someone_, like they don't trust me to stand on my own two feet! I don't like waking up screaming and crying and so scared I can't breathe." She pauses and takes a deep breath, calming herself as her voice has gotten louder. "I don't want it to rule me anymore. Soft doesn't survive in this world, and I am soft. I'm weak…"

"Have you ever spoken to anyone about your life?" He interrupts, placing both hands on her shoulders. She shakes her head. "Tell me." It isn't a request.

"I can't, Dag, it hurts." She whispers hoarsely, avoiding his big, knowing eyes.

"It may help you. The men have faced many great dangers, seen and done brutal things. It helps sometimes to tell someone." He rubs her shoulders, searching for signs that she'd give in. "It will remain between us. I promise."

She takes a deep breath and cocks her head to the side, studying him for a moment before nodding slowly.

"I…had an accident when I was six." She begins unsurely, slowly. "I lost all memory from before that day. I don't remember anything, except flashes of my brother and me, but that's it. I met Ash when I was seven, we both ended up in the same fencing class, that's swordplay, and we've been best friends since. We met Tammy on the first day of high school and she took us under her wing kind of, been mothering us since day one." She pauses to smile at the memory.

"Two years ago, my brother was killed in the training accident I told you of when we met. My father had always favoured him and was destroyed by his death. He started drinking excessively and…abusing me when he was drunk. He'd hit me, over and over and tell me it should have been me that died and not Dean." She closes her eyes to ward off the tears.

"My mother never did anything to help me, except help me hide the bruises after. She was too scared to step in. I started having the nightmares about four months after Dean's death, after Dad committed suicide a year later the nights just got worse. Nothing we tried would stop them and that's pretty much how it's been ever since. It's terror, Dagonet, it's all I feel. All I can do is worry and think the worst. I can't help it. And you're… you're so like him. I see my brother when I look at you."

She sniffs. "And that's horrible, 'cause you're not him. None of you are. It's not fair of me to do that. But I feel…" She clutches his wrists tightly, her fingernails imprinting in his skin. "I _feel_ something other than _fear_, when I'm with you. You, and Tristan and Galahad and Bors and Gawain and Arthur; hell, even Lancelot. You've done something…"

Tears were in her eyes but she didn't let them fall.

Dagonet stares at her for a moment, letting her confession sink into him. "It does not make you weak, Lily. If anything, you are strong for enduring it and still standing above it."

She snorts. "But I haven't stood above it, have I? I still have the nightmares. You guys go away and I have _more_ nightmares that you wouldn't come back. I cry more than half of the children, I'm mothered just as much as they are, and sometimes I actually go _looking_ for it. I can't be nineteen. I'm not…right. It's selfish of me to place you all in that position. You have enough things to worry about without me making it harder for you."

"You do not make it harder, little one. There's nothing to be ashamed of." He assures her calmly, debating on the best ways to kill her father if he had not gotten there before him. "We do not think of you as trouble. It's been a long time since we've had people waiting for us to come back. For a long time, we only had each other; then Vanora came, now you and the girls. We do not see you as weak, merely human."

She sniffs again and wipes her eyes, smiling up at him. "Thank you, Dagonet."

He returns her smile and pulls her to him in a tight hug. "Think nothing of it, I am always here. It is good to have family again."

She sighs into his chest. His simple words meant more than anything. She wraps her arms tightly around his torso and breathes in his calming scent, exhaling in barely a whisper. "Thank you, _so much_."

"I'll take you to your room, you need rest. Everything will be fine." He soothes and scoops her up into his arms. She smiles and cursed into his bigger form.

"Alright, I'll go to bed. You'll all be at breakfast?"

Chuckling, he replies. "Even if I have to drag them all to the tavern myself."

She laughs quietly as they leave the stable, feeling better then she ever had since Dean's death. "Don't let me oversleep then, this will be something I have to see."

**A/N: Woah that's a long one, lol. Should keep you happy for a while right? (: I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you so much to **_**princesspomegranate **_**BETA-ing it for me, you're the best (: **

**I'm seriously busy at the moment, with everything happening here, but next chapter will be up as soon as it's ready. Thank you so much for reading and for all the alerts and faves. **

**Pretty pretty please review! **

**~Meg xx**


	11. Chase

**A/N: And chapter 11 is finally ready (: Sorry about the wait, been busy with the move and school and etc of late. It's finally holidays for me, but they don't bring relief from any of the problems. I have to do catch up work, so yeah, basically still juggling a tone of things at once :/**

**Thank you very very much too **_**0white. as .snow0 **_**for her review! And thanks, as always, to princesspomegranate for BETAing (:**

**. : Chapter 11: Chase : .**

"Vanora!" Lancelot bellows, sounding half mad, half panicked. "Control your demons! Get them off! Get them off!"

"You're so insistent that half of them are yours…control your own children, Lassie." Ash taunts in a surprisingly bored voice.

She had spent the first half an hour upon their arrival at breakfast yelling and throwing things at them. Blaming them for everything and anything that had happened in the past ten days and no one was spared her wrath, meaning Arthur and even Dagonet had copped equal share of it.

Bors and Dagonet had looked Gilly's wound over. Lily had kept it wrapped and clean and it was healing well. Bors had gotten yet another tongue lashing over it from Vanora.

Dagonet had proclaimed that the wound probably didn't need stitches to which Lily agreed, but had thought it best. Since, being a child _and_ one of Bors', he wouldn't have been able to stay clean and it would help prevent infection.

Tam had him drinking a tea that she assured Vanora would help with the occasional stab of pain and had to tell Gilly that it would make him as strong as his Da to get him to drink it. Since apparently, according to the seven year old, tea is for pansies.

"Aunty Lily! Aunty Lily!" Six cries, running over, diving into the blonde's lap and shoving a parchment under her nose. "See, see, see!"

Lily laughs and takes the paper away from the young girl, who gets comfortable in her lap and waits semi-patiently for her 'Aunt's' opinion.

Scrawled messily on the top of the page was the alphabet with the numbers one to nine under it. Then under that, Six had drawn a country scene of flowers, hills, a few trees and a lake.

"It's very beautiful, Six, well done."

The little girl beams at the praise and takes back her handy work.

"Have you shown your Ma and Da yet?" Lily asks, looking up at Bors and Dagonet who are standing behind her.

Six gasps and promptly holds up the paper to Bors, who takes it and inspects it closely.

"Aunt Lily is teaching us our numbers and letters Da!" she says excitedly, watching her father with keen eyes.

All eyes turn to her and Vanora stands proudly as she looks over Bors' shoulder at her daughter's work.

Lily blushes. "They were bored…"

"I think it's wonderful." Vanora smiles kindly at her, moving around her lover to put her hands on Lily's shoulders in support. "For them to learn to read and write, it'll give them more opportunities."

Arthur smiles at her. He was the only one of the men who knew how to read and write, the skill had never seemed important to the others. "As do I. How do they fair, Lily?"

"Well, they're picking it up fairly easily, and they seem to like it." she smiles back, sneaking a look at Bors apprehensively.

She doesn't know what his thoughts on it will be. He opens his mouth to say something, but One, Two, Three and Eight come running up the stairs. One goes straight up to Lily, and hands her the paper she was carrying, looking kind of nervous.

The other three go to their parents to show them their own works, happily yelling at them to view theirs first.

Lily stares at the neat drawing, awed. One, Lily had quickly learned, has great artistic talent. The drawing is of all of them, and it is pretty easy to tell who is who. Lancelot and Ash are drawn together, obviously arguing. Arthur has Excalibur drawn and was holding the great sword high. Tam is looking at Gawain and him at her, smiling. Galahad is clapping his best friend on the shoulder, but is looking at herself as she stands between Dagonet and Tristan. Tristan's hawk was perched on his right arm, and an apple is gripped in his left hand. Bors is standing next to Dagonet with an arm around Vanora, while all their children either sat or stood at their feet.

Lily grins and looks up at One. "It's amazing! You've done a magnificent job, how long did it take you?"

"Three days." she replies.

For a twelve year old, it was incredible. Lily didn't know anyone who could draw as well as the girl before her.

"I know what you should be." Lil laughs, reaching out and squeezing One's hand. "Is it alright if I show the others?"

She nods slowly, her eyes slipping to her parents.

Lily stands, shifting Six to her hip as she does so, and goes to Vanora and Bors who are trying to compliment and calm their bouncing brood.

"Alright you lot." Vanora calls, looking up at Lily as she approaches with two of her daughters.

Holding out the paper, face down, to the mother, the blonde woman grins at them.

"Who's is this?" Van asks, taking the paper and gasps as she turns it over. "Oh my…Bors, you great lug, look at this!"

"Alright, woman, I'm comin'." he mumbles, prying Eight from his leg. He goes quiet as he studies the drawing while One nervously awaits his opinion.

"Who did this?" he asks finally, loudly, in case the child wasn't in immediate ear shot. His astounded voice draws the attention of the rest of his brethren and the tavern falls silent. Which is indeed quite a change for the seven Knights, four women and eleven youngsters.

"I did." One squeaks after Lily encouragingly pushes her shoulder a little.

Bors' eyes shoot back and forth between the drawing and his daughter. "By the Gods, girl! It looks just like us." he laughs. "Even got those two doin' what they do best." He gestures towards Ash and Lancelot, and then holds the paper out to Dagonet who runs his eyes over it and nods approvingly, smiling at One.

He then precedes to hand it to Gawain, who gives it to Galahad and so on. Finally it came back to Vanora who hugs her eldest with teary eyes. "It's beautiful, sweetheart."

One smiles shyly, the praise being thrown at her getting a bit much.

"Alright you lot, you're embarrassing her." Lil yells over the noise.

"We'll have to frame it." Tammy smiles, rocking the baby who has somehow managed to fall asleep in the uproar.

They agree and Arthur promises he'll see to it.

oOo

"So, between all the amazing things you do." The voice in her ear startles Lily as she stands alone in the kitchen, putting away the plates a few minutes later.

She tilts her head at Galahad, who stands mere inches behind her, a grin on his face. "When do you get free time?"

She chuckles and shakes her head. "Amazing things I do? Gal, I sit behind the desk and occasionally show the kids a word. They don't sit still long, I get enough breaks."

He shrugs, the grin not leaving his handsome features. "It seems amazing to me."

She blushes slightly, and, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks, turns back to her task. He comes up beside her and starts helping.

"And what will you be doing today?"

"Showing Arthur his schedule while he's here, having a bath, eating, spending time with you lot…" she lists the things off with a thoughtful hum. She never actually plans any of her days, not really.

He nods, thinking.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. We still haven't had that ride you know." he announces, shooting a hopeful glance at her.

The corners of her mouth tilt up in the beginning of a smile, "So we haven't."

"I think we should." he continues, placing a stack of dishes away into a cupboard. "After all, I promised to show you around."

Lily smiles at him. "Alright. How 'bout this afternoon? I _think_ I can free up _some_ of my precious time for you."

He beams. "Great! I'm supposed to be training now, so I'll see you later."

"Okay."

He grins some more and bounds out the door. Lil shakes her head after him and finishes her task before heading to the 'office', as the girls have dubbed it. Which is really what it is, the word was just foreign to the men.

She spends the next few hours sorting through paperwork and explaining to Arthur, when he finally shows up after the training session, what he had to see to first.

Then, after he had assured her that he wouldn't make a mess and he would indeed be fine, she leaves and goes straight to the bath house. She knocks, and when there is no answer, ducks in and just about dives into the water.

Lily sighs, letting the water wash away the stress of the last few days, running her fingers through her soapy hair. It had gotten longer in the three weeks and she makes a mental note to get Tam to cut it. There is no way in hell she would give a sharp object to Ash with Lancelot around. Her friend was too good at darts.

Just when Lil decides that she'd had enough and had a towel wrapped around her, the door opens and an arm slinks in, snatches up her breeches and disappears as the door slams.

"…_What the hell…_?"

For a moment, she keeps the towel wrapped tightly around her body, before dropping it and throwing on her breeches-turned-under-shorts and tunic. Whichever smartass it was, was going to have to deal with an angry Dagonet-Bors duo for the looks she was about to receive in her almost-half naked state.

Throwing open the door and heading for the closest exit, she runs out of the building just in time to see Galahad dart around the corner, laughing like an idiot.

_He'll be a dead idiot soon_, she thought, taking off after him. She was quick, but he admittedly had longer legs, and was a Knight, so he stayed just in front of her.

They dart in and out through and around the fort, earning odd looks and cat calls. When they pass the tavern, they nearly give Dagonet a heart attack and make Bors spit out his drink and start choking.

"Galahad! You bloody asshole! Get back here!" she yells at him, for what feels like the millionth time. They come away from the buildings and he bolts up a hill, at the top of which, Gawain is waiting.

_Figures, should have known where one is, the other is never far away._

Just as he reaches the top, he slows enough for her to close the last metre between them and tackle him to the ground. She lands on top of him, straddles his stomach and pins his arms to his sides.

"You moron! If you _ever_ do that again, I will kick your arse." she growls between heavy pants. Her body is covered with a sheen of glistening sweat and her chest rises and falls deeply as she strives to get enough oxygen into her lungs. He is too busy trying not to laugh and openly stare at her to respond. Gawain is being absolutely no help at all, to either of his friends. The older man is gripping his sides with tears running down his cheeks and is nearly on the ground for laughing so hard.

"Give. It. Back."

Galahad snaps his eyes back to her face and stares at her, willing himself not to laugh.

"I can't believe you did it." Gawain wheezes, gasping for breath.

_Serves the git right. _

Galahad takes her distracted moment as an opportunity and rolls over so he is straddling her and she immediately starts struggling.

"Get off me!"

"What's going on?" The new voice nearly has all three of them dead from surprise.

Looking up, Lily laid her eyes on Arthur, Lancelot and Tristan, who are all on their horses.

Galahad scrambles off Lily and helps her up. More like grabs her forearms and heaves her to her feet without asking. "Uh..."

"I bet Galahad that he wouldn't be able to steal something of Lily's and make it back here before she caught him." Gawain supplies, almost recovered from his laughing fit, though his face is still a bit red.

Arthur raises an eyebrow and Lancelot looks her over. She is flushed and still breathing hard. Tristan remains indifferent.

"And did you succeed?" the Commander asks Galahad, who stands a bit straighter, grins stupidly, and holds up her breeches.

"Yeah, he made it…_just_." Gawain laughs again and Lily retaliates by kicking his shin.

"I shoulda known you were the brains behind this." she snaps, as she snatches the breeches out of Galahad's hand and pulls them on. "Just you wait till I tell Dag and Bors, not to _mention _what _Ash_ is going to do to you." she replies crankily, glaring at them.

"Tattle tale." Galahad pouts at her.

She raises both eyebrows as the others snicker. "That's the best you can come up with? Who'd you get that off? Four?"

"Ash, actually."

"Ah. Well, while that _does_ make sense, it's still childish and I'm still telling. This is the perfect time to try out my new battle tactic." she huffs, spins on her heel and starts to march off. She stops for a moment, and hurries back to them, giving both the duo a swift kick in the shins and resumes storming off.

"What battle tactic?" Gal yells at her retreating back, clutching his damaged leg. She kicked like a mule, not that he'd ever tell her that.

"You've got a way with the women, pup." Lancelot grins, watching their youngest sister storm off. "I'd hate to think what will happen to you pair when the others find out."

The two immediately look panicky.

"Arthur, send us out." Gawain begs. "If Ash does not tear us to shreds, Dagonet will! And Bors will pound us to a powder!"

His commander shakes his head in amusement. "I'm afraid you will just have to accept your fate, my brothers." he sighs dramatically, a gleam of amusement in his emerald eyes. "You should've thought of the repercussions before hand, shouldn't you?"

Tristan smirks.

"What is this battle tactic?" Lancelot inquires, also smirking at the pair.

"I do not know, but whatever it is, it will not be good for us." Galahad replies dryly.

"Nonsense. She loves us too much." Gawain reasons, hopefully.

The others stare at him and it is Tristan who replies.

"She just kicked you in the shins. Twice."

They pale and take off after Lily, who is almost at the base of the hill.

"Lily! Wait! We didn't mean it!"

She turns her head and jumps into a run when she sees them coming.

"Come." Arthur laughs. "We should make sure they do not die."

Turning his horse after the pair and urging him into a trot. Snickering, the other two follow.

Lily runs straight to the tavern where Dagonet and Bors are pacing out the front and Ash, Tam and Van are setting up for the evening. Ash looks murderous as she slams trays down on the bar.

The riders, only a stride behind the running men, come to an abrupt halt when they do so as not to trample them.

Lily looks over her shoulder for a second and smirks, then turns her expression into a teary-eyed, scared look.

Her followers all get suddenly worried. Very, very, worried.

"Daddy! Uncle Bors!" She cries and runs straight into Dagonet's arms, ignoring the stunned look on his face at his new name.

"Ah shit," Gawain mumbles. "Not good."

Lily, who was an amazing actress, clings to Dagonet's tunic, buries her head in his chest and 'sobs'.

Dagonet closes his arms around her protectively and rubs her back. Bors sides up next to them and lays a hand on the back of her head, stroking her hair calmingly.

Ash, followed by Vanora, storms down the stairs, and both rush to Lily. After a quick check to make sure that she would indeed live, Ash whips around to glare at Galahad and Gawain.

"What. Did. You. Do?" she snarls.

Vanora was fussing over her 'crying' friend, trying to soothe and calm her, and also turns to glare at them. "You've reduced the poor girl to tears, you great beasts!"

"Come 'ere pup!" Bors roars, advancing on the youngest knight menacingly. "I'm only gonna break your toes!"

"You can have his stinkin' toes!" Ash snaps. "I'm gonna break his neck!"

"It was Gawain's idea!" Galahad shrieks- actually _shrieks_- leaping back and trying to hide behind Arthur's horse without getting his head kicked off. "He dared me!"

"Oh, so he's the brains then. I'll make sure to fry him, but you're not getting off!" she shouts, running at them. They both take off like scalded cats with Ash and Bors on their heels.

"Come." Dagonet gently turns Lily around and takes her up the stairs, Vanora following.

Tam stands as the doting pair go past and shakes her head as the riders came up to, trying to hide their laughter. Even Tristan looks amused.

"Liliana." The brunette mouths, trying not to smile.

Lily looks over Dagonet's shoulder and smirks, holding a finger to her lips.

oOo

"That was very cruel." The voice beside Lily startles her out of her thoughts.

Half an hour after the tavern began to fill with patrons, Ash and Bors had returned with their now very silent victims trailing behind. The pair had whole heartedly apologised to Lily and practically begged for her forgiveness. Which she thought was a little over the top, but Ash and Bors had looked thrilled with themselves.

After sighing dramatically and pretending to think about it, she had granted them their request. The night then went as usual, the Knights starting the process of getting drunk, Lily and Tam babysitting them, while Vanora and Ash served.

Lil raises her eyes to meet the scout's and smiles sheepishly. "They started it…are you mad?"

He shakes his head and takes another mug from the bar. "It was brilliant. Don't do it too often, I do not know how many lives they have."

She stares at him. "Did you just make a joke?"

He takes a mouthful of the ale and disregards the question. "Come, back to the table."

And with that he heads back to where their friends sit. After a moment, she follows him and sits down between Gawain and Galahad, just to prove that she doesn't hate them.

"What'd they do to you?" she whispers to Galahad, reaching up and pushing his curls away from his face to check for injuries.

"I am fine." he smiles at her. "Lots of yelling and chasing and threats mostly. They did break a few things to prove the point however. I've never seen wood shatter into so many pieces."

She chuckles, withdrawing her hand. "Sorry, but you deserved it."

"I am aware that I did, and I'm still sorry." he murmurs sincerely, trying not to show his disappointment as her touch left him.

"I've already forgiven you, Gal, don't stress on it." She smiles at him and squeezes his hand under the table. "Don't worry about it."

He nods, staring at her again as she smiles but forces himself to look away. Now wouldn't be a good time to get caught by the others.

Too bad Tristan and Dagonet both notice, and they glare at the younger man's slightly pink cheeks as she checks him over for harm. You can't really tell with Tristan, however.

Lily doesn't seem to notice his less-than-relaxed state as she goes back to looking at the others, searching the crowd for Ash.

The redhead is ducking and diving her way around the packed place with ease. Lily watches in amusement as she is pulled into some bloke's lap, who receives a quick slap before she's up and off again.

"Men are hideous creatures." she pants as she set more mugs on their table. "The lot of ya's, bloody assholes."

"Take it easy, Ash." Lily says off-handily, crawling out of her spot. "When do you change shifts?"

"Now." her friend replies, watching her replacement come out from the kitchen and nod to her. "What did you have in mind?"

"Sleep." She yawns. "I spent half of today chasing people remember, I wanna go to sleep."

Ash grins at her. "Well, this is a pleasant change. I was getting sick of you staying around all night. I mean, hitting people is fun, but seriously scaring off all the guys that are interested in you is getting annoying."

Lily wrinkles her nose while the others at their table look around for said suitors, ready to chop them up into itty bitty pieces and then pound them into dust.

"What guys?" the youngest asks interestedly, also scanning the crowd.

"Losers. You're too good for them, never mind." Ash replies instantly.

"But..."

"No buts missy, no guys for you unless they have been approved of by _everyone_." She makes gestures to the men and one to Vanora across the tavern.

Lily groans. "Might as well be a nun then."

Ash grins. "Maybe not a nun, I don't like those penguin suits."

"First good suggestion you've ever made." Lancelot teases.

"Shut up, Lassie." she replies sharply.

Chuckling, Lily moves around to Dagonet and kisses the side of his forehead. "Night _Daddy_." Throwing a teasing, yet triumphant smirk at Galahad and Gawain, she waves to the others. "G'night, people."

"Night, Lil." They laugh and Ash loops her arm through Lily's and pulls her away.

"Good night, you idiots." She calls over her shoulder before disappearing into the crowd, and then into the night.

**A/N: There you go (: Hope you liked it! PLEEEAAAASSSE let me know what you thought! **

**As most of you know by now, I'm moving. And it's kinda taking up a lot of my time. And once we've moved, we won't have internet straight away, so I can't really tell you for sure when the next chapter will be up. I never know the what's happening until its happening lol. I'm guessing we'll be leaving in the next 3-4 days though. So when I suddenly drop off the radar, you'll know why lol. For updates on what's happening, check my profile. I'll try to let you guys know as soon as I do.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~Meg xx**


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